Someday The Memory Remains
by Kouen Keibo
Summary: The war is over, but at a great cost. Naruto is dead, or at least that's what everyone believes. Well not everyone as Ino believes that he's still alive. Naruto's funeral is placed on hold as Team Ten and Team Kakash intelligence gathering mission, but with the appearance of Madara Uchiha. Things turn ugly as he claims to have killed Kakashi and Yamato on his path to kill Sasuke!
1. How The Hell Did We Wind Up Like This

**A/N: This is just a preview of what I have in store for The Memory Remains series first part "Someday" which is going to a Naruto and Ino pairing based story and if any of you can't already tell I've gotten the idea from this part of the story name from Nickleback's song "Someday" while the series name comes from Metallica's "The Memory Remains". Any ways the only reason why I'm posting up this preview is, because it's the only way I could con my brother in to reading one of my stories.**_

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_My name is Ino Yamanaka, I'm eighteen years old and for as long as I can remember all of my friends have called me flighty and I can't blame them in the least as I can't make up my mind of what I want in my life. For the longest time I always thought that I wanted Sasuke Uchiha the dreamiest boy in the Konoha's Ninja Academy, but at the drop of a hat I tried to seduce the prodigy of the Hyuuga clan's Branch family Neji Hyuuga. Then just like that I was fawning all over Sasuke again before he left the village to join Orochimaru talk about a blow to girl's confidence, but I wasn't hit as hard as Sakura was when that happened. Though for a while I did have a thing for Sai who sort of looked like Sasuke at first, but you can imagine how that ended to where I just bounced around between guys letting them use me for what ever they desired, but that changed the day he came to the village._

_I don't know it was that changed about him, but after Naruto came back from his training with toads to defeat Pain. I just knew that I was attracted to him… which meant that I would never have him. No matter how much I want a guy I can never get the ones that I want with my charms and the feelings that I was having towards Naruto were stronger than the ones that had for Sasuke, Neji, and even Sai. Which only made it worst and I had to turn to drinking to try to numb the pain, because the idea of Naruto choosing me over Hinata whose loved Naruto more than anything even though he never saw it, because he was blinded by Sakura who he's had a crush on since we were back in the Ninja Academy._

_Though I never expected what happed that night nearly a year ago now… I was way past three sheets to the wind drunk when I ran in to one of my old hook ups from before Naruto came back to the village. He was looking for a fun time with me, but all I wanted to do was get home sleep off tonight so I could do it all again tomorrow. He just wouldn't take no for an answer… normally it wouldn't have been a problem for me to take care of myself… being a Chuunin and all, but with the amount of Sake I drank I couldn't keep my balance none the less mold chakra in a useful way. All I could is run and that's what I did… I didn't even have a clue where I was headed, but that didn't matter all that did was that I kept moving away from him until I found someone anyone to help me._

_However, I never had the chance to find anyone, because my balance gave out and I fell down to the pavement. Even though I was drunk I could feel the pain from where my knees, arms, and head hit the pavement and where the blood was starting to run down my forehead, but the thing that I can remember was the guy's eyes staring down at my helpless shell of a body. I was on the verge of giving in… I mean I knew that I would never have Naruto and the thought of living alone for the rest of my life didn't sound all that inviting, but before I knew it I heard a second set of footsteps. Then before I knew it was over… I heard the man I was running away from me crying out in pain before he ran away while the owner of the second footsteps yelled something at him, but I couldn't make it out. The pain and the booze were starting to make me sleepy and while the pavement was unpleasant and rough to lay on the coolness of the stone in the night's breeze was inviting._

_"Ino are you alright?" Someone asked, I couldn't make out the voice mostly thanks in part to the owner of it talking with his mouth full. That led me to believe that it was Chouji, because that boy seemingly never has his mouth empty when he speaks. I turned my head to look at who I thought was my teammate, but much to my surprise it was Naruto. I felt myself started to ravenously blush towards him as he stood there holding his right hand out towards me to help me to my feet while his left hand was holding on to a bowl of Ramen, and his chopsticks were hanging out of his mouth, but my eyes were wandering else where seeing him wearing black slacks and a white silk shirt that was torn open from the brief fight with the guy that chased me. It's only then that I realized that I was out in front of Ichiraku Ramen… Naruto's favorite eatery._

_"…" I couldn't find the words to say to him that I would be alright now, because of the shame I was starting to feel. Thoughts started to overload my mind at the realization that Naruto was dressed up to eat at Ichiraku Ramen… it could only mean one thing that he was there on a date. The only question being was it with Hinata or Sakura… I thought as I looked around to see which one of it was, because I was sure they would have come out by now to see where Naruto had went, but there was no one and from looks of my blurred vision the only people left in Ichiraku were Ayame and Teuchi… the father-daughter team that runs the Ramen stand._

_"Ino! Are you alright? I heard you screaming." Naruto said, as his chopstick still hung from his mouth and I couldn't believe what he said. I was screaming? I don't remember screaming… I just remember running and falling down to the ground which is where I am now. Still though… I could have been considering I still don't understand while I choose to run to Ichiraku Ramen. Sure on a subconscious level I knew that Naruto would be here, but who would have saw him coming to my rescue. Finally I reached out and took a hold of his right hand to let him me back to my feet and as if it was right out a cheesy romance movie… I fell into Naruto's chest. Knocking him off balance causing him spit the chopsticks out of his mouth and drop his bowl of Ramen down to the pavement where the ceramic bowl shattered on contact so that he could wrap his arms around my back to steady the both of us before we fell._

_"Naruto… I love you." I finally found myself saying to him, but I 'm not sure if it was being in his arms like that so close to him that I could smell the scent of his Cedar wood cologne or if it was the Sake doing most of the talking for me. Maybe it was a little bit of both as I planted a kiss right on his lips. When I pulled away from him he just looked at me and smile…_

_"I should get you home… and then we can talk about this in the morning when you've recovered from the Sake." Naruto said, and I felt so embarrassed at the moment. I kissed Naruto and confessed my love to him and he probably thinks that I only did it because of my drunken stupor I was in. Not that it matters… morning never came for us as Madara Uchiha attacked the village and Naruto like the hero he is rushed off to protect the village. Madara was just too much for Naruto to handle alone and as if a miracle was granted for the village Sasuke came out of no where to join forces with Naruto to take down the founder of the Uchiha. In the end… Sasuke was badly wounded and disappeared off in to the sunset with his Team Taka, but Naruto,… Naruto was gone. The only thing that anyone was able to find of him was his bloody and nearly completely destroyed head band. Upon that Lady Tsunade had no choice, but to declare Naruto dead even though no body was found. Everyone believes that he is gone… everyone, but me._

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The sky was a portrait of gloomy doom with swirling gray clouds off set by the darkened sky as the rain drizzled down from the heavens rapping on Ino's bed room window. She didn't want to get up out of bed, but at the same time she knew if she didn't get up soon that her parents would send a search party looking for her. Finally the weight of her blanket was starting to feel like it was going to suffocate her to death if she didn't get out of bed. Ino felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she could already feel how painful the walk to the Memorial Stone was going to be. Seeing the faces of numerous people filled with grief, sadness, and empathy scattered along the street. Some of their faces were going to be hidden underneath black veils others by ANBU masks, but all of them were be bearing tear streaks down their cheeks.

Ino's chest tightened, her temples pounding with a splitting pain from another night of drinking alone, as she moved mechanically to her closest so that she could get dressed for the longest day of her life. Ino didn't believe that Naruto was dead, but she couldn't help as tears streamed down her cheeks as she walked along with her parents carrying an umbrella in one hand and a single rose in her other. Most of her tears were at the memories of going to the Third Hokage's, Jiraiya's, and Asuma-sensei's funerals… remembering how sad they had been.

_"We can talk about this in the morning when you've recovered from the Sake."_ Naruto's final words to her playing through out her mind again, because surely he wouldn't have said something like that unless he meant it. As that was one of his Nindo's to never go back on his word, because that was the kind of man that he…Ino pinched herself for even at the slightest though of doubting Naruto's word and the fact that he's still alive.

When she finally arrived at the Memorial Stone she had finally gotten her tears to stop, but just the sight of seeing her friends, their sensei's, as well as seeing Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon, Shizune, Anko, Ibiki, and Lady Tsunade gathered with tears in their eyes… it was almost enough to make her lose it again, but she had to hold strong to her belief that Naruto is out there some where alive.

Looking around the crowd of people gathered to "mourn" Naruto she saw that Hinata was hugging on to a picture of the blonde haired shinobi. Hinata out of everyone was crying the hardest, because her wounds from fighting Pain haven't fully healed, but the wounds from not knowing if Naruto returned her feelings were killing her the most seeing as the talk around the village was that Naruto avoided her. More than likely, because he still had to sort out his own feelings towards Hinata along with the feelings he had… has for Sakura.

Shino just there next to his hurting teammate not really offering her any kind of support, but everyone's come to expect that from the Bug tamer as he doesn't openly like to show his emotions. Kiba on the other hand was crouching down along side Akamaru holding on to his partner. Even from the distance that she was from she tell that Akamaru's fur was wet with Kiba's tear as Akamaru himself every once in a while let out a mournful howl and whimper.

Konohamaru was being held on to by both Udon and Moegi who were crying in to his shoulders, as he himself… Naruto's pupil slash rival slash friend wept openly as he stared at the empty casket. Kurenai-sensei was holding on to her daughter Asuka fighting back tears as she laid her head down on Kakashi's shoulder. Kakashi like Shino was a little bit stoic, but if you looked hard enough you could see that his left eye was visibly over flowing with tears, but it's hidden better than most thanks to the way he wears his mask and head band.

Shikamaru finally showed up with the Sand Siblings following behind him, but after a hug and a gentle, but sad kiss with Temari he parted ways with the three of them to stand next to Chouji. Chouji just nodded at Shikamaru's arrival while holding on a cup of instant Ramen with an iron clad grip. The Sand Siblings walked up to the front of the crowd to their special guest seating to have a better view of the empty coffin.

Neji had TenTen wrapped up in his arms as she sobbed, but he himself was hiding the pain that he was feeling like Shino. However, you could tell that it's a great deal of pain in his eyes, but his resolve showed a great deal of experience with death. Ino remembers back to the Chuunin exam and his fight against Naruto and how he told the story of his father's death. She can just imagine how much he cried in total misery that day, but since then he has grown up experiencing death several more times and almost died himself. Rock Lee on the other hand was blubbering like a baby as he cried in to Guy-sensei's shoulder. It was surprising to see Lee crying the way that he was considering that he hadn't known Naruto for that long on the account that he was a year old than him, but the both of them shared a special bond. Both were called failures, but they proved to everyone else that they were geniuses in their own way… Geniuses of hard work.

Sai's eyes watered, Sakura's face was streaked with tears as they stood together waiting for the ceremony to start. Ino noticed that the sadness in Sai's face which was surprising considering how emotionless he normally is being more intense than any other person there, excluding Hinata. Ino guessed that Sai cared more deeply for Naruto than any of them thought, but then again Naruto was the one that reminded Sai what it felt like to have friends and to care for other people again after being brainwashed by Danzou's Root faction to be… for a lack of better words a robot.

As Ino scanned the crowd she saw more faces of sad people, but she was shocked when she saw Sasuke off in the distance, standing by a tree more than a hundred yards away even with out the Hyuuga's Byakugan, she could see the stress and anguish in Naruto's former teammate, rival, best friend, brother… the Prodigal Uchiha himself in the flesh. Sasuke didn't shed a tear in the least, but like Neji… he learned about death at a young age when his whole clan was laid to rest. So he didn't cry now, but he simply stared through the crowd, seemingly lost in his own thought.

The last person she thought she would seeing crying was Gaara, but she was shocked when her eyes fell on his face while he was next to the casket looking down in to the empty casket. His knuckles were white as he gripped a hold of the casket tightly as tears slowly started to fall from his eyes. Like Sai… Naruto had taught him about connections, bonds, friends, and in fact was Gaara's first true friend in his life and now that friend was seeming gone from this world. Meanwhile, Iruka stood off to the side with Shizune who was holding on to his arm sobbing. The look in Iruka's eye showed the pain that he was going through losing Naruto, but it also showed the pain of not being able to hold on to Shizune to comfort her.

You see he was charged with the special task of holding on to a wooden box that held the only part of Naruto ever to be recovered… his charred head band. Iruka would have to hold on to it until everyone that wants to say a piece about Naruto and once everyone had their chance to speak he's to place the contents of the box in to the casket and then it will be lowered down in to the ground. Finally The Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade walked up to the front of the crowd, and once she was sure that everyone was seated she cleared her throat calling everyone's attention up to the front, to her, and to the empty casket and everyone that was talking stopped to listen to what she had to say.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Tsunade began, her face already stained by her tears…


	2. Just Five Words? Is That Too Much?

"Naruto Uzumaki," Tsunade began, her face already stained by her tears… "There's no one here that can deny he's annoyed them at some point in his short life, but he was a great man."

Ino just watched all gather people nod their heads in agreement as they recalled all the times the young blonde hair ninja tested their patience with his pranks and stunts. Ino even recalled a couple times in which he's done the same to her… like back in the academy when she was head over heels for Sasuke and he "stole" Sasuke's first kiss. She chuckled at the memory now at how angry the other girls, Sakura, and she became over an accident.

"None of use can deny that we've put him down in some way… by calling him a demon, a loser, and worst of all putting down his dream of becoming Hokage. Everyday of his live he was breaking through obstacles, hard ships, and betrayals… but he didn't do it for himself. No…" Tsunade said, as she started to tear up again. "He did it for all of us, the selfish people that told him he'd never amount to anything in this world, but he fought tooth and nail to protect us all… Naruto…" Tsunade pointed, at the empty casket and Ino felt her heart stop for a brief second and she knew that Hinata must have experienced something similar.

"He was destined to be a hero, but more importantly he was destined to become Hokage from the day that he was born… and would have been had Madara Uchiha attacked just a week later." Tsunade said, as several people including Ino gasped at the realization of what Tsunade was saying.

_"I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I'm gonna become Hokage!"_ Naruto's word reverberated through Ino's mind as she remembers all the times he's introduced himself to his opponents and enemies and proclaimed at what everyone thought at the time as nothing more than ludicrous fantasy of a young Genin.

"I was going to retire, because my successor was no mystery and as such he is the true title holder of Hokage. Which is why I'll make it official, Naruto's face will be added to the mountain, as The Sixth Hokage." Tsunade paused, as she raised a hand up to wipe the tears away from her eyes while her age concealing jutsu faded, revealing her wrinkled face. It was at that moment the strongest kunoichi and the most powerful shinobi in the Hidden Leaf looked so fragile that if you barely touched her she'd break in to a million pieces. "However, I can't lie… when I first met Naruto I disliked him, but came to love him like he was my own son and some where along the way he became a man when I wasn't looking."

_"I was always chasing you…"_ Suddenly Hinata's word from her battle against Pain suddenly surfaced in Ino's mind. She didn't know why they were suddenly coming to her, but her eyes quickly focused on to the Hyuuga heiress. She was still clutching on to Naruto's picture as if she never intended of letting it go. Ino suddenly thought that Hinata was somehow using her chakra to make the words resurface in her mind as a way to scare Ino off. As if the quite shy Hinata wasn't about to share Naruto in death… I"… wanting to overtake you…"/I

"Naruto as you all know held the Nine Tail Fox's spirit and chakra with in and because of that he was special, but that wasn't what made him special. What made him special was that he never gave up… he had no family and we shunned him… he was all alone in this world, but he never gave up." Tsunade said, as she folded her arms in front of her chest while hoping to regain some of her composure. "He never gave up…"

_"I just wanted to walk with you,… You changed me, Naruto!"_ The words were starting to sting to the point that Ino couldn't bring herself to look in Hinata's direction, but at the same time she couldn't bring herself to look up at Lady Tsunade either. Ino's only solace was to look up at The Hokage's faces. She was looking to the men that Naruto aspired to be like for guidance or maybe some kind of sign that Naruto was still alive and that he'd be able to fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage. At first glance she thought she saw Naruto standing on top of mountain looking down at all of them, but it turned out to be a crew of skilled ninja artist in Earth Style jutsu. Which means they were already starting the process of adding Naruto's face to the mountain.

"He never gave up his love of this village and everyone in it despite the way we treated him." Tsunade said, as she was really starting to get choked up to where she's having more difficulties in continue talking. Her sobs were starting to get more violent as she raised a hand up to take a hold of her own neck. The neck that once held her grandfather's necklace until she lost the cursed thing to Naruto. "The First Hokage's… my grand father's necklace was my most treasured, but also my most hated possession. I don't have it any more…"

_"Your smile saved me…"_ Ino closed her eyes as Hinata's words continue to haunt her, but she was determined that they wouldn't make her doubt her feelings for Naruto.

"I've never told anyone this, because it's hard to admit at least before day… that I, Tsunade, of the Legendary Sannin and Fifth Hokage lost to a mere Genin by the name of Naruto Uzumaki." Tsunade said, "I don't have my necklace, because Naruto mastered The Fourth Hokage technique, The Rasengan, in a week when it took the Fourth three years to perfect it."

_"And for that I'm not afraid to die protecting you!"_ Ino finally had enough she couldn't stay to see the end of this empty ceremony. She turned to run away from the memorial stone, but her father placed his hands on to her shoulders as if he knew what was going through the young girl's mind. Ino instead found herself turning in to her father hugging him while she sobbed in to his chest.

"Only the third, Jiraiya, and I knew this, but Naruto was the Minato Namikaze, The Fourth Hokage's only son, but now I'll never have the chance to tell him that." Tsunade said, and everyone gasped at the revelation of Naruto's parentage. Sure at points some of them thought he looked like the Fourth Hokage, but none of them wanted to admit that he could be the son of the villages greatest hero and Hokage up to that time.

_"Because I - love you, Naruto!"_ Even though she was only remembering Hinata say those words to Naruto she could feel her heart being shredded to ribbons. With her luck with men she knew that she would never have Naruto, but those haunting words put the nail in the coffin. With the revelation that he was the Fourth Hokage's son it just means that he would want the heiress to a large, well known, and power prominent clan such as the Hyuuga and Hinata instead of a part time second rate medical ninja and the daughter of a flower shop owner like her. While Ino continued to cry in to her father's chest several of the mourner gasp again as Tsunade started to fall to the ground, but Shizune was able to catch the Fifth Hokage in time and then helped her to take a seat.

Everyone is silent not sure of what is going to happen next, but several people are shocked when Hinata moves to the front of the ceremony while clutching on to the picture of Naruto tightly in her arms. Every remembers Hinata as a meek and timid girl who could barely speak a three words before she was stuttering nervously, but the thing that stands out the most about the way she was is how she would faint no matter watch if she was around Naruto. However, that isn't the girl they see today… standing in front of them despite her puffy eyes and red cheeks wracked with pain and grief she was stronger, more confident, and most of all more self assured.

"I loved Naruto with all of my heart and because of that I'm a stronger person than I was." Hinata's voice crackled with the welling up emotions which led to the glimpse of what she was like in the past as she couldn't bring herself to look at the other guests of the funeral.

_"If love him so much why are you giving up on his so fast?"_ Ino thought, as her tears started to subside again as the pain she was feeling towards Hinata's situation was slowly being replaced by anger at her seemingly betrayal on her part.

"I would've done anything for him… even die for him." Hinata said, as she pulled the picture away from her chest with a sigh. She looks at the photograph of Naruto from when he was just twelve years old. Ino couldn't deny the fact that Hinata risked her life to save Naruto from Pain, but she wasn't there during the fight against Madara and a part of Ino doubts that she would have been able bring herself to put her life on the line for a second time. However, it's all a moot point as she wasn't there and she wasn't there, because she was sedated in a hospital room still recovering from her injures from Pain.

"If you would do anything for him… why don't you believe he's alive?" Ino snapped, but her voice betrayed her as it came out more like a gargled whisper to where if anyone had heard what she said they probably can't under what she said. Ino tries to calm her emotions down a little bit and takes a deep breath in to help the process as she plans on saying it again, but this time louder to where they would be able to hear her. However, as if he knew what his daughter was going to say Inoichi squeezed her shoulder slightly to stop her. As he knew that his daughter would turn around to face him.

"Grief affects people differently." He whispered, just loud enough that Ino would be able to hear him and the look he got from her meant that not only did she hear him, but that she understands what he means. He might not understand why his daughter all of the sudden felt the need to feel anger to the extent of attempting to lash out at a funeral at the sweetest and nicest girl in the village. He's just glad that he was able to avoid that for now, but if he knows his daughter as well as he thinks he does than she's going to try again.

"Naruto may no longer be with us, but at least he's with his family now." Hinata said, as she wiped a tear away from her left before she glanced down at the picture she was holding in her trembling hands. Then Hinata did something that Ino expected to happen and hoped that it wouldn't bother her, but just the sight of her kissing the photograph was more than enough to make Ino upset again. Ino pulled away from her father and started to make her way up towards Hinata and the empty casket while pulling up sleeves of her black top in anger.

_"How can she love Naruto when she doesn't believe in him to be alive?"_ Ino thought, to herself she as effortlessly moved through the crowd thanks in part to her small frame. However, her father who is trying to follow her to stop her from causing a scene isn't having much luck in getting through thanks to his much larger frame of a body. He sighs heavily as the realization that it was going to be a long night of drinking with Shikaku and Chouza in the hopes of forgetting that this day ever happened.

"INO!" He snapped, trying to keep his voice as low as possible so no to disturb too many of the guest as he hopes that his daughter will come to her senses and stop. Unfortunately for him his daughter was never really one to use common sense very much when she's angry like this. Inoichi closes his eyes and says a silent prayer hoping that would work in his favor at least. He peeked out of his right eye to see what's happening when he doesn't hear a commotion that should have been coming and much to his relief he see's Shikaku's boy Shikamaru and Chouza's boy Chouji with Ino.

"Let go of me Shikamaru!" Ino ordered, but she knew that there wasn't much that she could do to him at the moment considering he's got her trapped by her shadow leaving her totally powerless at the moment. Shikamaru just yawned heavily before he returns his lazy stare back towards his blonde haired obnoxious teammate.

"Forget about it." Shikamaru said, before he turned his and Ino's glance up towards the darkened clouds. "Why do the clouds have to be so ugly today? It's such ah drag."

"Ino today's already bad enough with the weather and it being Naruto's funeral and all." Chouji says, "We don't need you adding any more drama to it at least during this ceremony."

"Naruto I know you'' watch over us all and make sure we remain safe." Hinata said, and the words made Ino's blood boil even more, but unfortunately for her as long as she's trapped within Shikamaru's jutsu there's going to be nothing that she can do to Hyuuga heiress other than watch and listen to her. Ino could only watch on while she seethed on the inside at the sight of watching Hinata give the photograph one last hug and kiss before placing it down in to the casket. She stared at the picture for several moment before she walked off to rejoin her comrades.

"Let's go…" Shikamaru said, with a heavy sigh as he lead Ino up to the casket by her shadow with Chouji following right behind them with the cup of Ramen still in his hands. Once they were standing next to the casket for their friend they turned to look out over all the people gathered. Ino noticed that Shikamaru looked bored which meant one thing he didn't want to be up there and he wasn't really say anything at all. "I've got nothing to say… other than Naruto was a great friend."

"I-I-…" Ino tried to bring herself to tell everyone this funeral was a waste of time, because he's still a live, but the words just didn't want to come. Which was probably a good thing, because she would only end up repeating herself any way. No the only thing that she could manage to do was to blush feverishly with out the ability to turn or run away from the staring glazes of all of the villagers.

"I just wanted to give Naruto… a cup of his favorite Ramen…" Chouji said, before he placed the unprepared cup of Ramen in to the casket along with photograph that Hinata had put in their. As Chouji looked down at the cup of Ramen Shikamaru along with Ino started to move back in to the crowd away from the center attention. "Good-bye my Ramen eating rival."

Chouji then steps away from the casket to rejoin his two friend and the next to follow is several moments of silence as everyone stands still as if they weren't sure what to do. Finally Iruka takes it as if no one else has something to say. The teary eyed Academy sensei moves towards the casket to finish the ceremony, but he stops short of the casket when he looks up to see Sasuke stepping up next it. Iruka watched as the young man looked down at the casket before he said: "Pathetic…"

"Why you…!?" Several villager yelled out in disgust at Sasuke's choice of words while looking at a fallen hero's casket. Some of them even start to take a step towards the casket and the Uchiha survivor with a few of them even being ANBU level shinobies who have standing orders to arrest Sasuke for his betraying of the village. In spite of this they back off when the grief ridden fifth Hokage waves them off. Sasuke in the mean time has turned around to look at the people who are there to pay respects to his former team as he snaps:

"I wasn't talking about Naruto…" Sasuke was practically shouting at the top of his lungs to make sure that everyone can hear him, "I was talking about all of you! You've all came to 'pay' respect to Naruto, but only a hand of people have had the guts to say something about him. All you have to do is say five words… thank… you… for… saving… us, but you can't even do that."

"You don't know what you're talking about…" One villager called out in the hopes of getting Sasuke to shut up.

"You tried to kill him yourself several times." Another yelled, but neither of the villagers got the reaction they wanted from the Uchiha survivor. As he just stood there next to the casket with a smirk forming on his face.

"Your right… I hated Naruto…" Sasuke was still practically shouting, so that no one would miss a single word of what he has to say.


	3. Brothers From Different Mothers?

"Your right… I hated Naruto…" Sasuke was still practically shouting, so that no one would miss a single word of what he has to say. "In the academy all he did was annoy me. I had trouble concentrating back then, because he was always glaring at me and then making this obscene faces when I looked in his direction, but what I hated the most was when he kissed me…"

"It was an accident!" Yelled the now grown up shinobi, who was responsible for knocking Naruto in to Sasuke. Some of the girls in attendance giggled at the though of the two boys kissing on that day, but in a more raunchy manner which got scowls from not only Sasuke, but Ino as well.

"Even when we put on to team seven under Kakashi-sensei… I couldn't stand him, but mainly for the fact that the day we were paired together on the same time he attacked me and then used the Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Jutsu) to change in to me to get closer to Sakura." Sasuke's voice finally cracked, allowing the pain that he's feeling to slip through as Sakura looks on stunned at the realization she had been taking to Naruto on that day. Ino on the other hand was slightly relived to find out that it was Naruto that won that fight against Sasuke instead of Sasuke like she had back on that day.

"That Naruto…" Sakura said, underneath her breath as she tried to get angry at the blonde haired shinobi clenching her fists as if in preparation in knocking him in to next year in her own way of waking up from this nightmare, but it isn't working. Her tears started to fall harder as her hands slowly on clenched from balled fists to where it look as if she was waiting to take a hold of Sasuke's hand on side and Naruto's hand on the other side so they could walk off like the team they were suppose to be…

"Naruto was never book smart and got us in to some tough jams back when we were Genin, but he also got us out of most of them too even if we stood no chance…" Sasuke says, "I remember it as if it was just yesterday, we were face to face against The Demon of the Hidden Mist, Zabuza Momochi. A Jounin level ninja who was tearing us up, because we were kids "playing" ninja, but Naruto rushed up to him just to get his hand band back from underneath his foot."

_"That boy never did learn about strategy…"_ Kakashi thought, as he smiled underneath his mask while the tears still flowed freely for his right away. As the thought about all the times he scolded Naruto telling him to think about his actions before he acted, but never once did he listen to a single word of it.

"When we first ran in to Orochimaru during the Forest of Death part of the Chuunin exams… I was so scared to death that I, the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan froze in battle, but Naruto he was… Naruto." Sasuke said, as a tear finally rolled down the left side of his face thinking back to that day while some of the guest chuckle at Sasuke's comment about Naruto being himself. Ino was even among them thinking about how Naruto acted at that time in his life, but she never expected to hear:

"Naruto fought fearlessly against not only against the most ruthless member of the Sannin, but a giant snake summon." Sasuke managed to say, before he got a little choked up and had to pause for a moment. "The snake was coming in for the kill on me and Naruto stopped it by himself with two kunais pinning it to the tree I was standing on."

_"I never heard that story!"_ Tsunade thought, as she lifted her glaze up to the Uchiha to see if he was lying about that moment to play Naruto's accomplishments up, but there was no sign of falsehood.

"I was finally accepting him as a friend, but we were still rivals and I doubt he would want it any other way. We were both finally making the bonds we craved with him never knowing his family and the ones I lost when my clan was slaughtered… until I threw it away when I left to join Orochimaru, but that didn't stop Naruto." Sasuke said, as he reached in to the opening of his shirt. What Sasuke pulled out shocked a lot of people to see him holding on to his own scratched head band that Naruto had been carrying around with him ever since their battle at the Valley of The End. "During our fight at the Valley of the End we fought as equals, but still I told Naruto that he wouldn't be able to scratch my fore head protector, because I didn't want to see us as equals, but it was apparent that we were when he did…"

"That's my Naruto!" Ino cheered, underneath her breath as she was washed over with a great sense of pride at Naruto's accomplishment considering it probably wasn't an easy feat in the least even back them.

"Since that battle… we had fought several times, but he slowly beat some sense in to me." Sasuke said, as he chuckled a little bit, but it was a sad chuckle. However, he wasn't the only one that found the lighter side of that comment. Konohamaru, Neji, Gaara, and Tsunade also chuckled at the memories of when Naruto knocked some sense in to them when they were younger. "Naruto… was my greatest rival, my best friend, but most importantly he was like a brother."

_"Naruto didn't have a family… so it was natural that his friends would become his family."_ Ino thought, as she burst in to tears once again even going as far as closing her eyes to conceal the fact. Ino instinctively raised her right hand to cover her mouth temporarily forgetting that Shikamaru had her trapped in his Kage Mane no Jutsu (Shadow Possession Jutsu), but it wouldn't have mattered, because some time after Sasuke took center stage he released the jutsu. With Ino's control of her own movements restored she turns and doubts starting to creep in to her mind about what she had done she turns and slowly starts to walk away from the front of the ceremony. Her action catches the eyes of several people, causing them to turn and watch her as Sasuke moves aside as Iruka resumes his walk up to the casket. Iruka comes to stop right next to the casket where he looks down at the box in his hand that holds the tattered remains of the headband that he had given Naruto years ago after he defeated the traitorous Mizuki and kept the Scroll of Sealing of falling in to the wrong hands… the hands of Orochimaru.

_"Naruto… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."_ Iruka thought, to himself as he knew that if he actually voiced his grief it wouldn't amount to anything more than idol words compared to that of Lady Tsunade's, Hinata's, and most of all Sasuke's. Not only that, but the looks he receive from everyone as they would criticize him on how he thinks that he would have been able to save Naruto… A Chuunin level instructor with no jutsu over C rank in a fight that involved not only an S Class shinobi, but an Uchiha on top of it. It would have been like both times they fought Mizuki… Naruto would have ended up saving him. Iruka sighed, as he slowly started to pull the wooden box open as it makes a sliding noise as the wood rubs together.

_"Some things not right…"_ Hinata thought, suddenly as she started to look through crowd looking for a glimpse of a sinister figure looming in wait to attack everyone while their off guard, but the only thing that catches her attention as out of the ordinary is Ino as it looks as if she is trying to leave the ceremony before it's finished. Hinata suddenly becomes angry, but she doesn't know if it's because Ino's leaving the funeral before it's finished or she is just using Ino as a scapegoat for the anxiety that's starting build with in her from the feeling that something's going to happen. Hinata's attention though is quickly brought back to Iruka as he freezes from what appears to be horror…

"It's gone…" Iruka barely managed to say before the wooden box falls towards the ground. The moment the first half of the box hit's the ground Hinata is already on the move heading straight towards Ino. She doesn't really understand why she would single out Ino out of everyone, but she just has a gut feeling that Ino has something to do with it. As the second half of the box hit's the ground everyone else is still trying to process how it is that head band is missing considering that it's been under lock and key until today. Just as Ino is about to pass through the iron wrought gate Hinata grabs her by the shoulder:

"Where do you think your going?" Hinata questioned, as she turned Ino around by yanking on her shoulder. As soon as Hinata and Ino come face to face with one another Ino slaps her hand away forcefully.

"Keep your hands off me, Hinata!" Ino shouted, and the commotion between the two girls were enough to finally snap everyone else out of their daze. All of the funeral goers glazes were focused on to Ino and Hinata, but none of them could understand why the tension between the two of them were running so high.

"Don't you think you should do something, Neji? They look like are going to fight?" TenTen asked, as she looked over her shoulder at Hinata's cousin who just stood there dumbfounded at the whole situation as it looks like Hinata of all people is the aggressor.

"I-I don't know…" Neji finally managed to say, as he isn't sure what to do with the myriad of emotions that's running through his very being at the moment.

"What did you do with Naruto's head band?" Hinata asked, as she stared at Ino with her piercing white eyes, but Ino didn't seemed to be phased in the least by it.

"What? You can't seriously be accusing me of taking it!" Ino says, "Just what give you half the mind that I would?"

"Because you're the only one that's trying to leave early." Hinata snapped, and the two girls were locked in a stare down with one another. The other funeral gather's haven't really processed what's going on between the two of them, but the rest of Ino's and Hinata's friends were starting to make their way to the young girls in the hope of keeping the confrontation from escalating any further.

"Okay… so what if I did… what about it?" Ino snapped, back at Hinata which caused their friends to stop in their track unable to wrap their minds around the idea of Ino doing something so disrespect to Naruto's memories. While other people gathered for the occasion gasp at the realization that someone from amidst them were behind the theft of the head band.

"Naruto didn't haven't a peaceful life… so why are you denying him peaceful passage in to the after life?" Hinata asked, as she tried to calm herself down a little bit as the last thing she wanted to do was fight with anyone today of all days.

"Because he's not dead." Ino declared, as she folded arms over her chest in defiance of Hinata's continual piercing glare.

"You barely knew him… so why do you hold up his funeral to make the ones that actually care about him suffer more!?" Hinata said, which caused Ino to unfold her arms as a vein in her forehead started to protrude with anger. Just the sight of the vein was enough to get Shikamaru scared and he wasn't even the focus of her anger, but even more so was the murderous intent that fill her usually peaceful blue eyes.

"I think the better question is… why are you Naruto's self proclaimed "Soul mate" rushing to put him in the ground?" Ino said, as she fell back in to a fighting stance as if she knew she touched a nerve within the Hyuuga heiress' body. Everyone watch with baited breath looking for Ino to attack first since it was Hinata's verbal barb that drew blood first, but Ino just stood there waiting for the usually timid Hinata to make the first move as she adds: "Shouldn't you of all people believe that he isn't dead instead of the opposite?"

"Take that back…" Hinata ordered, as she slipped in to her own fighting stance, but she didn't have the intention of attacking first either. However, when Ino just shakes her head no something snaps within Hinata's mind as she lunges Ino raising her right arm in preparation to attack the blonde haired kunoichi…

* * *

**_Author Notes:_** Alright here is the third chapter of Someday... To be honest with you all this chapter was a little harder than the other to write... I don't know maybe I'm just overloading myself in trying to write all the emotion thats needed in this part of the story. So needless to say... I can't wait for this arc of the story to be over with, but there is still at least one more chapter left dealing with funeral... ugh. Alrighty... I just thought that I would share that with you all real quick before I go to back working on my update for "The Unforgiven".


	4. Catfight and Punishment?

The crowd gasp when Hinata launched the attack towards Ino's head, but Ino calmly tilted her head to the left avoiding the strike which only served to enrage Hinata more as she started to attack with multiple strikes. However, Ino was showing one of the better qualities that Team Ten has over the other teams they graduated… while they primarily relied on being able to attack and take down their opponents they where the opposite. They tended to evade their enemies more than fighting them to wear them down so that they can take them down with little fight.

"Neji do something!" TenTen yelled, as she nudged the male Hyuuga in the direction that Ino and Hinata were locked in to their confrontation, but after that intital jolt he just stands there.

"I cannot interfere…" Neji says, "This is something Hinata must deal with on her own."

_"This isn't good…"_ Shikamaru thought, as he calculated the distance between him and the two cat fighting girls and how effective his Kage Mane no Jutsu (Shadow Possession) would be through the crowd of people that are blocking his path to getting closer to the two of them.

"Shikamaru… what do you think has the two of them this worked up?" Chouji asked, before he opened up a bag of his favorite chips. Chouji kept an eye on the fight, but reached his hand in to the opening he made in the bag to get a hand full of chips to shove in his mouth.

"I don't know… troublesome females." Shikamaru said, as he shook his head from side to side while shrugging his shoulders. Unlike Chouji though Shikamaru turned his attention back up to the clouds which looked like they were about to start dumping more rain down on to the gather crowd. Ino continued dodging the in coming attacks from the irate with precision and grace that both Chouji and Shikamaru have come to know from her.

"Why don't you fight back? For someone trying to prove the fact that Naruto is dead you're not putting up a fight." Hinata yelled, as the crowd gasped in shocked when it looked like the Hyuuga heir was finally able to hit Ino in the shoulder, but it turned out that all she was able to get was a few strands of Ino's blonde hair.

"I don't fight, because I don't have to… Naruto's alive." Ino says, "The questions is why do you have to fight to prove that he's gone?"

"What's Ino trying to do? Get herself killed?" Sakura asked, but it wasn't a question directed towards anyone and for that no one jumped to answer with the only logical answer any of them have at the moment. Which is that they don't know what she is thinking…

"STOP TURNING IT AROUND ON ME!" Hinata yelled, and as if luck switched sides for the moment Ino slipped in a puddle of water falling to the ground cracking her head on a tombstone. Disorientated and racked by pain she didn't see Hinata launch her next attack which aimed straight at the Yamanaka's head as several of the villagers tried to warn the girl of the shot, but she couldn't understand the jumbled mess of their voices clashing caused in her head. Shikamaru and Neji both attempted to stop the shot, but they had too much ground to cover before it was all over. The shot was going to be fatal… everyone knew it, but Ino who didn't realize that Hinata's attacked was aimed right at the temple on the left side of her head. However, right before the Hyuuga heiress strike hit it's mark someone grabbed her arm stopping the strike short by just inches. Hinata was shocked at the turn of events, but tried to pull her arm free to finish the strike, but the person's grip wasn't letting go in the slightest. Hinata though wasn't going to let that stop her so she went to strike with her free arm, but the person just as easily stopped that shot. It's only then does she turned to see who came Ino's rescue to find Sasuke standing there with his Sharingan activated.

"That's enough!" Tsunade shouted, having finally getting a grip on her emotions getting them back under control. Upon hearing the boisterous voice of the Fifth Hokage, Hinata calmed down a little bit as her eyes reverted back to their normal state as did Sasuke's eyes as he released the girl's arm. Meanwhile, not only had Shikamaru and Chouji finally get close enough to do something so did Neji, Kiba, and Shino. For the most part they all stood there, but Shikamaru and Chouji helped Ino up to her feet while she was still holding her head. "Neji, Kiba, Shino! Escort Hinata back to the Hyuuga compound and make sure she stays there."

"Yes Ma'am!" The three young men replied, before they took off from the cemetery with Hinata. Once the four of them were out of sight Tsunade turned her attention back to Ino who was slowly climbing back to her feet with the help of the tombstone that she had hit on her way down to the ground. Ino knew that she was in more trouble than Hinata despite the fact that she wasn't fighting back thanks in part to Hinata accusing her of taking Naruto's head band… which she did, but lucky for her no one can prove it at the moment at least.

"Ino Yamanaka… my office now!" Tsunade yelled, at the young woman and it only made her head throb that much more with boisterousness of the lady Hokage's voice.

"Yes ma'am…" Ino said, with out making eye contact with the lady Hokage as she held on to the back of her head as she bowed. Tsunade then turned her attention to all the people that had gathered for Naruto's funeral only for it to be interrupted. Especially the Sand Siblings as they had to travel a long way just to make it to the ceremony.

"I'm sorry for any inconvenience this causes anyone, but until we recover the head band the ceremony is on hold." Tsunade said, as Ino started to leave the cemetery to head towards the Hokage tower. While Tsunade had to give several of the guests evil looks as they started to complain about the delay, but the one thing that she didn't notice was that Baki, Gaara's and his siblings former sensei come up to the three of them looking haggard from the long journey from Suna to Konoha.

* * *

Ino stood in front of the Hokage's desk which is the only thing that separating her from the irate looking Fifth Hokage who is hunched over the wooden furniture piece baring her knuckles down on to the surface. Ino has her hands folded neatly in front of her waist trying to look at calm as possible, but she would be lying if she told anyone that she wasn't frightened of the Hokage at the moment she's just doing a better job of it than the Hokage's own personal assistant Shizune. Who is looking extreme nervous standing off to the side of the room clutching her pig Ton-Ton tightly in her hands to keep him from getting in the way of what might happen if Ino tests Tsunade's patience too much.

"Ino I'm truly disappointed with you behavior lately." Tsunade says, "The late night drinking binges leading to you stealing Naruto's head band."

"Lady Hokage… I assure you that I didn't take it." Ino said, fighting back the smirk, because she knew for the fact that she did, but she wasn't going to admit it at least not until she has solid proof that Naruto's alive.

"Do you take me for a fool? Ino you've been the only one insisting that he's alive meaning you're the only one that has motive to do such a thing." Tsunade yelled, but much to the surprise of not only Ino, but Shizune and Ton-Ton that she didn't break her desk in half as she pulled her right hand up off the piece of furniture only to calmly put it back down.

"Someone like Hinata could of done it to frame me." Ino said, but the implication behind her words weren't taken seriously as Tsunade as well as Shizune give her a "What the fuck" look at the suggestion that someone like Hinata could be so malicious to do something like that.

"Ino you do realize that your father and as well as team of ANBU members are searching your home for the head band and they will find it." Tsunade said, with a matter of fact tone in her voice. However, it didn't seem phase Ino in the slightest as she confidently replied:

"No they won't, because I don't have it." Ino said, with out breaking eye contact with the Hokage whose temper looks to be raising up to the point of no return as she keeps lifting her right hand up of the desk, but then puts it right back down on it as she fights to keep her temper in check to where she doesn't cause any damage.

"That's it… I should lock you up for you insubordination, but I'm going to let you off easy…" Tsunade says, "… with a demotion back to Genin level."

"What?! You can't be serious… you can't make me a Genin again!" Ino shouted, hoping that it would make it so, but Tsunade didn't look like she was going to budge in the slightest on the matter.

"Actually I can and there's more you on probation and if I here even a murmur of you having just a sip of anything alcoholic not only will you spend a night in lock up, but I will kick you back to the academy."

"That's not fair! How else am I going to deal with all my pain?" Ino asked, as she looked at the fifth Hokage with a pledging look in her eyes.

"Ino drinking away you pain won't help anything, but if you want I'll reconsidering the demotion…" Tsunade said, but she didn't finish the sentence to let her words hang in the air for the moment to see if Ino would even want to consider the idea of how to make her reconsider the demotion part of her punishment.

"I told you I don't have Naruto's head band." Ino snapped, knowing that's what the fifth Hokage was hinting around at. The room fell silent for several moments as the two blonde haired shinobies stared at one another not wanting to give up any of their footing.

"Fine… Ino Yamanaka as of this moment you are officially a Genin again." Tsunade says, "You're dismissed."

"Don't you think you're being a little harsh M'lady?" Shizune asked, as Ino silently left the room as Tsunade turned her attention towards her attention. However, no sooner than the door closes behind Ino does it reopen, but instead of the blonde haired Genin re-entering the room. It was Sasuke Uchiha followed by Juugo which makes both of the older women raise an eye brow at the sight in front of them.

"What do you want?" Tsunade snapped, as she was still more than little irritated at the fact she wasn't able to break Ino's will to get the head band back.

"My associate and myself are here to offer our services to the Hidden Leaf Village." Sasuke said, coolly with out taking his eyes off Tsunade's face as she looked stunned at what she heard him say.

"I see…" Tsunade says, "What about the other two members of Team Hawk?"

"Karin and Suigetsu have parted ways from Team Hawk." Sasuke said, again with out breaking a sweat despite the fact she could break him in half with a single punch if she wanted to.

"You mean you killed?" Tsunade asked, wondering about the details of their "departure" from Sasuke's make shift team.

"Their alive… they however, didn't see the point in siding with Konoha for their own reasons." Juugo said, finally breaking his silence causing everyone in the room to look at his hulking body frame with the expectation of Sasuke who keeps his eyes on Tsunade.

"Why did he stay with you?" Shizune asked, wondering why someone like Juugo would stay with Sasuke with him wanting to return back home and be of service to the very village that have been hunting them down like dogs for several years now.

"Because Lord Sasuke is the only one that can tame the beast within me." Juugo said, and both women knew what he meant as they have read several reports from several encounters in which teams have encountered the beast from within Juugo's body.

"Fine, but Sasuke does this have anything to do with that…" Tsunade started to ask, but she didn't get to finish her question as Sasuke simply nodded his head yes to answer the coming question.

"Not a word about it though I don't want her to feel pressured in to it." Sasuke said, as he turned away from the fifth Hokage towards the door, but he was stopped in his tracks as she said:

"That you know she'll hate you forever if she were to find the truth…" Tsunade said, but again she didn't finish what she was saying as Juugo took a step towards her in a threatening manor. She knew that her that her strength would help her in a fight with the behemoth known as Juugo, but she wasn't quite sure that her body would be able to withstand punishment from the younger man in his Curse mark state considering that it's the real deal and not Orochimaru's take on it.

"Juugo enough…" Sasuke says, "If she finds out the truth it doesn't matter, because our marriage has been arranged."

Sasuke and Juugo shortly after that left the room allowing Shizune and Tsunade both a chance to let out a sigh of relief as the Fifth Hokage takes a seat finally behind her desk. However, the tranquility of the moment doesn't last for long as someone comes knocking at the door. Tsunade puts her head down on her desk as she wonders if this day would ever end.

"M'lady do you want me to see them in?" Shizune asked, wondering or not her mistress was going to entertain another person right now considering the fact that she already has dealt with not only Ino, but Sasuke and Juugo as well. Tsunade grumbles something before waving at Shizune to let them in so that she can hurry up and get it over with it. By the time Shizune gets to the door reaching out for the door knob while still holding on to Ton-Ton, Tsunade has already lifted her head up off the desk. Upon seeing who was on the other side of the door Tsunade promptly stands back up on her feet to greet them in to her chamber.


	5. Just A Dream?

**A/N - I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I've been taking a much needed break from writing my Naruto stories so that I could work on some other projects that will hopefully help me improve my writing ability even more, but more importantly help me get even closer to my goal of publishing an original piece of work. So don't fret even though the updates might be a little sparse for here on out... I haven't nor will I ever abandon any of my stories.**

* * *

Sasuke and Juugo shortly after that left the room allowing Shizune and Tsunade both a chance to let out a sigh of relief as the Fifth Hokage takes a seat finally behind her desk. However, the tranquility of the moment doesn't last for long as someone comes knocking at the door. Tsunade puts her head down on her desk as she wonders if this day would ever end.

"Milady do you want me to see them in?" Shizune asked, wondering or not her mistress was going to entertain another person right now considering the fact that she already has dealt with not only Ino, but Sasuke and Juugo as well. Tsunade grumbles something before waving at Shizune to let them in so that she can hurry up and get it over with it. By the time Shizune gets to the door reaching out for the door knob while still holding on to Ton-Ton, Tsunade has already lifted her head up off the desk. Upon seeing who was on the other side of the door Tsunade promptly stands back up on her feet to greet them in to her chamber.

"Lord Kazekage, what can I do for you?" Tsunade asked, as she tried her best to smile at the enter younger Kage and his two siblings as they entered the room behind him.

"We like thank you for your hospitality and inform you we have to return home." Gaara said, speaking softly and calmly while looking remorseful that they won't be able to see the ending of the burial ceremony once they straighten everything out.

"Your welcome…" Tsunade says, "… and can I ask why the sudden need to depart for Suna?"

"Certainly…" Gaara said, but he isn't allowed a chance to finish telling the Hokage the reason for the departure as Kankurou interrupts him:

"Suna was hit by a big sand storm and Gaara's needed back in the village as the Kazekage." Kankurou said, earning him a death glare by his younger brother for him interrupting him, but also getting socked in his left arm by his sister, Temari. As she also looked more than a little upset at what he had done.

"I understand and I'm sure that Naruto wouldn't have a problem with you missing his burial ceremony to be with your people." Tsunade said, even though she was a little downtrodden with the thought that the man Naruto came to call his best friend wouldn't be there to say good bye to him.

"I'm afraid that's not it." Temari injected, which earned her own dirty looks from Gaara as she cuts him off from continuing the conversation.

"A small village, Isoshigi, just barely pass the Wind Country border was burnt to the ground and possibly attacked by enemy shinobies." Gaara says, "Which puts us at a cross roads with a path not too easily chosen."

"I see where you are going Lord Kazekage… with the situation in Suna you can't afford to send any of your own shinobies to investigate and help. Quite the impasse indeed." Tsunade says, as she raises her right arm up to rub her chin as she begins to think about what to do. She already knows that they are going to be asking for a team of Konoha shinobies to help them, but who can she send? Who will even want to go? Is it right to send them out making them miss the finish of Naruto's burial ceremony.

"We hate to impose on Konoha considering the situation here, but we have no choice." Kankurou said, as Gaara just nodded his head in agreement while Temari fidgeted a little bit thinking that Gaara was going to reprimand Kankurou for stepping out of line again, but she sighed with relief when nothing happened.

"I have composed a list of shinobies that we want for this mission." Gaara added, before he handed the fifth Hokage a scroll containing the names of the Leaf shinobi that they have chosen for the mission. When she looks at the name is a little taken by surprised when she's sees Kakashi Hatake's, Sakura Haruno's, and Sai's names on the list of six shinobies. Tsunade though nodded her head in approval over the selected shinobies despite the fact that they all would want to be her for Naruto's funeral, but she believes that some time away from the village while they look for the head band would do them good.

"Shizune… find Kakashi and Shikamaru and inform them to have team seven and ten to meet at the village gate in the morning." Tsunade says, "Oh and find Sasuke and Juugo I'm adding them to this mission."

"But Milady… don't you think they should both be mentally evaluated before sending them on a mission?" Shizune asked, more than a little worried about her mistresses desire to add the two former rogue ninjas to a mission that could affect the alliance between the Leaf and the Sand.

"There's no time for that… I just have a feeling that Sasuke's expertise is going to be needed on this mission." Tsunade said, as the feeling in her gut continued to grow telling her that something big was going to happen on this mission that is going to shake the foundation of the Leaf village to the ground. Shizune just nodded her head in understanding even though she is still more than little worried that something is going to go wrong with this mission.

* * *

When Ino entered her favorite drinking hole she wasn't expecting the sight that befell her seeing all of her friends sitting together talking and trying to have a good time with one another. Not wanting to deal with her friend's questions of what happened with Lady Tsunade or questions about whether or not she stole Naruto's head band was more than enough for her to cover her face as she made her way to the bar hoping that none of her friends would notice her. She made it to the bar okay enough, but she hadn't really thought about what she was going to do once she sat down. As soon as she settled down on her "favorite" stool the bar keep make his way over to her placing a glass down on the bar counter.

"The usual doll face?" The bar keep asked, and Ino was more than little tempted to say yes… in the hopes of forgetting that today ever happened so she wouldn't be faced with the fact that she was no longer a Chuunin. That she was back to being a lowly Genin level meaning that she was back to taking on shittiest jobs that no one else will take with the expectation of other Genin, but she has a feeling that Lady Tsunade was going to save the worse ones for her to do.

"No thank you… I think I will just have some water." Ino replied, even though to her it didn't sound like it was her face, but she knew the last thing that she wanted right now was to be sent back to the academy, because then she wouldn't have a way to find out where Naruto is and whether or not he is truly alive or not. Once the bar keep gave her, her water he left her alone to deal with another a customer as she started to sip away at the water in the glass that she doesn't notice Sakura approaching her.

"Ino? Why are you sitting over her by yourself?" Sakura says, "You know your more than welcome to join us."

"I know, Sakura, but I'd rather be alone right now." Ino said, before she took another sip of her water.

"I know you won't tell me if you have it or not, but why is so important for to try to keep Naruto alive when he's dead?" Sakura said, and she could tell by the look that she received from Ino that they cut her deeply and on some level it was more unbearable to hear it come from Sakura than from Hinata. As Hinata knew Naruto just about as much as Ino knew him, but Sakura… she knew Naruto better than anyone else. She knew not only what he was capable of, but more than that she saw on many occasions his never give up attitude.

"You want to know why?" Ino said, coldly as she put her glass down on to the counter and slipped off the stool. Sakura was a little afraid that Ino was going to attack her like Hinata had done to Ino earlier in the day, but Ino just stares at the pink haired kunoichi.

"We all kind of want to know why…" Sakura finally said as she was expecting Ino to snap at that moment, but she didn't. Instead Sakura watched as Ino walked away from her, but she wasn't headed for the door nor was she headed for the table that they all were seated at. Instead she was headed to the stage with the karaoke system set up which shocked Sakura, because in all the years that she known Ino she has never known her to sing at all. Which just perplexed her even more, because she couldn't figure out why she doesn't just tell them why she feels the way that she does. Ino searches for the perfect song to sum up all of her feelings in a nutshell and finally she finds the song "Just A Dream".

"It was two weeks after the day she turned eighteen, all dressed in white, going to the church that night, she had his box of letters in the passenger seat…" Ino sang, with a voice that could be compared to a saddened angel as all of her friends just stared at her in shock over her hidden talent. Once again Ino could feel the emotion welling up with in her body as she could feel the tears welling up on the inside of her eyes, but also the fact that her voice was threatening to get caught up in her throat making it hard for her to sing.

"Sixpence in a shoe, something barrowed, something blue, and when the church doors opened up wide, she put her veil down, trying to hide the tears…" She continued, and she could tell by the look in her friend's faces that they were finally starting realize why she couldn't let go of Naruto. They were starting to realize that she was in love with him which seemed to make Sakura look even more sad for her friend, but it made Hinata's feelings of ill will towards the blond that more deeper.

"Oh she just couldn't believe it, she heard trumpets from the military band, and the flowers fell out of her hands, baby why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go?" Ino sang, as she looked out at the bar's patrons other than her friends she could see tears forming in their eyes as well as the song was hitting close to home as it was for her. Though she couldn't believe that one of her friends that was on the verge of crying over her choice in songs is Neji who had remind so composed earlier today, but he's finally starting to lose it.

"I was counting on forever, now I'll never know, I can't even breathe, It's like I'm looking from a distance, standing in the background, everybody's saying, he's not coming home now…" Ino sang, and the tears just kept flowing from her friend's eyes… Lee's most of all as she continued to fight back her own so that she could at least finish this song with out totally breaking down in front of her friends.

"This can't be happening to me, this is just a dream, the preacher man said let us bow our heads and pray, lord please lift his soul, and heal this hurt, then the congregation all stood up and sang the saddest song that she ever heard, then they handed her a folded up flag, and she held on to all she had left of him…" Ino scanned the faces of her friends again… Sakura was barely keeping herself together by holding on to the bar stool Ino had been sitting in, but it was threatening to implode on her as she was gripping on to it so tight to fight back the tears. Shikamaru looked calm, cool, and collected yet at the same time the song was getting to him as a tiny stream of tears ran down his cheeks, Chouji while not crying in the slightest had lost his appetite which isn't something you see often, Neji and TenTen were both crying while holding on to one another, Kiba was once again crying in to Akamaru's fur, Shino was even crying ever so slightly, but out all of them the only one not crying or showing grief to the lyrics of the song was Hinata who was just getting angrier with each new lyric…

"Oh, and what could have been, and then the guards rang one last shot, and it felt like a bullet in her heart, baby why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go? I was counting on forever, now I'll never know, I can't even breathe, it's like I'm looking from a distance, standing in the background, everybody's saying, he's not coming home now…" Ino continued to sing out her heart out for her friends, but also the rest of the patrons of the bar though Hinata was getting to the point of having heard enough. She is just about to stand from her seat, but she stops herself when she notices Shizune enter through the doors of the bar with a serious look on her as she looked over towards the table that she along with the rest of her friends were seated. After the incident that happened earlier during Naruto's burial ceremony she didn't want to risk incurring the ire of Lady Tsunade for continuing the fight.

"This can't be happening to me, this is just a dream, Oh, baby why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go? I was counting on forever, now I'll never know, Oh. Now I'll never know, it's like I'm looking from a distance, standing in the background, everybody's saying, he's not coming home now, this can't be happening to me, this is just a dream, OH, this is just a dream, Just a dream, yeah, yeah…" Ino finished really pouring her out for the finale of the song as just out of the corner eye sees Shizune trying to get to the table where the others are seated and she can only imagine that she is going to them to tell them about her probation and the fact that she isn't allowed to have any stiff drinks and the last thing that she wanted to do is try to explain to all of them the reason why she became so dependent on nightly drunken stupors. Though she is pretty sure that a few of them… at least Shikamaru, Chouji, and Sakura would be able to tell some of the reason, but none the less she didn't want to be hounded. She quickly placed the microphone back in to the stand and slipped off stage headed for the back door, but she didn't get very far as she bumped into someone that she hadn't expected to see again…

"We need to talk…" Sasuke said, his voice was cold, but it wasn't uncaring as she had came to expect from him after the few times that Team Ten had ran into him when he was still on the run with Team Taka. In was only now in this up close and personal meeting with Sasuke that she could see the conflicting emotions with in his dark eyes… the sadness, the joy, the pain, and the relief… Ino though couldn't comprehend the range of emotions in Sasuke's eyes, because one would think that only pain and sadness would be there considering that everyone believes that Naruto whose been like a second brother to him is dead she can't understand where the other emotions were coming from. Though she nodded her head agreeing to talk to him only, because by agreeing to talk to him he helped her slip out of the bar unnoticed which means she only has to talk to him and no one else for the moment.

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**_A/N - Not that I probably need to tell you, but the song that Ino was singing in this chapter is Carrie Underwood's "Just a Dream"._**


	6. What Makes A Hokage

**A/N - The sixth chapter and you finally get a glimpse of what happened to Naruto during the fight with Madara, but what you don't get is to see Ino's reaction to Sasuke's account of the events... MWAHAHAHAHAHA I'm evil. Anyways I hope that you all read, enjoy, and review.**

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We need to talk those were the last words that Sasuke said to her before the two of them slipped in to the cool and damp night air. The two of them just walked in complete silence for what seemed like hours, but in reality that it has only been a few minutes since they left the bar. Ino was just about to ask Sasuke what it is that he needs to talk to her about, but before she can her body shivers from a cold gust of wind that blasts the both of them as they near the training ground where Team Seven came together for the first time. Which made Ino chastise herself for choosing to wear such a skimpy outfit.

"Here…" Sasuke said, in a gentle tone as he reached over towards Ino with his cloak in his hand. Ino looked at the cloak with weary eyes she knew that it would help insulate her from the cool night's air, but the last thing that she wanted was to be seen walking around with Sasuke wearing his cloak as if they were out on a date considering that she's been only one to believe that Naruto's still alive. However, her need to feel comfortable won out and took the cloak from him.

"Thanks…" Ino said, as she slipped on the cloak almost immediately feeling much warmer than she had just moments ago, but she couldn't bring herself to look at Sasuke in the least bit. It feels so strange standing right next to him after so many years of imagining a life together with him, but now that she's right next to him looking as if they're a couple. Yet all she can think about right now is getting away from him, because her heart belongs to Naruto.

"I know where your hiding Naruto's head band." Sasuke said, with a confident tone in his voice that catches Ino off guard as she didn't think that anyone in the village would be able to catch on to where she hide it, but then again it would go to figure that Sasuke could. Ino shifted uncomfortable as Sasuke walked away from her up to the wooden trunk that Naruto had been tied up to after he attempted to steal his lunch during the bell test with Kakashi. Ino watched Sasuke with every muscle in her body tensed and ready to flee from the training ground in case Sasuke attempts to take the head band from her, but he simply reaches his hand out placing it on the wooden trunk.

"I'm not going to give to you if that's what you wanted to talk to me about." Ino said, with as much conviction that she could muster, because she knew that if he really wanted to get Naruto's head band back from her there wouldn't be much she could do to stop him. Not with that Sharingan of his, because not only would it stop her from being able to hand any kind of offensive strike against him, but it would also neutralize her defense as well.

"Don't worry… I won't tell anyone where it is." Sasuke says, "I just wanted to tell you that I was impressed at how you found the perfect spot to hide it to where even the strongest of the strong Byakugan users couldn't find it. That's all I wanted to say about that…"

"Um, thanks I guess." Ino said, as she wasn't quite sure if she take that as a compliment or an insult.

"As to why we need to talk…" Sasuke said, before he paused so that he turn his head to look back at the blonde hair kunoichi while leaving his hand resting on the trunk.

"Finally… I thought you were type to get right down to business Sasuke." Ino said, recalling how many times she's heard stories of other teams and the times she seen it first hand how Sasuke and his Taka team went straight in to action with very little talk. Which is completely different to what she is seeing now as he's been more than a little reluctant as to coming out with whatever it is that he has on his mind.

"I heard you singing that song earlier… and it really seems despite how little you knew Naruto you really loved him." Sasuke said, and again Ino wasn't sure if he meant that as a good thing or a bad thing. The only thing that seemed to make sense was that they were going to be talking about Naruto… which she already figured.

"Sasuke… if you are going to tell me to give up on him forget it." Ino says, "Everyone tell me that he's dead, but there is nothing they can tell me that will shake this feeling I have that he's still out there somewhere alive."

"He's dead Ino… I killed him." Sasuke said, as he finally took his hand off the trunk that Naruto had once been tied up to as he started to step towards Ino. He doesn't get that close to her before she slaps him with a jaw shaking slap.

"Take it back! If that's true then how can you show your face around?" Ino asked, even though she doesn't really want to know the answer to it. She balls up her fists and starts to pound away at Sasuke's chest as he wraps his arms around her pulling her closer to him to attempt to give her some feeling of comfort, but at the same time to keep her from doing something to hurt herself or to try something to really hurt him over the bombshell that he just dropped on to her lap.

"I can't…" Sasuke says, "I didn't mean for it to happen… I didn't want to do it, but it was Naruto's idea and he was adamant about it." Sasuke said, and for a brief moment Ino calms down to allow the new information process in her brain. Sasuke starts to release his grip on the kunoichi, but he suddenly has to tighten it again as she starts fighting back with a renew vigor.

"I don't believe you… Naruto promised me that we'd talk and he never breaks his promises!" Ino yelled, which gives Sasuke a little insight as to why Ino is holding on to the slimmest chance for Naruto to still be alive. It was because of one of his stupid promises… it was moronic when he had promised Sakura that he would bring him back to the village even if it took him an lifetime. Yet this one was even more moronic given how things turned out in reality, but at the time he said it was a harmless promise, but sometimes those that seem harmless are the ones that hurt the worst, because they are unexpected.

"Listen to me… Naruto and I were running out of options when he came up with the most bone-headed-est idea ever and there was no talking him out of it." Sasuke said, even though he knew there was a chance that she wasn't even listen to a word that he was saying any more as she continued to fight against his grip.

"LET GO OF ME!" Ino yelled, but again Sasuke didn't heed her words as he continued to hold on to her tightly. He knew that he had to pick up the pace before they start to draw attention, because despite the training grounds look secluded part of the village, but every hour on the hour an ANBU guard patrol runs through to make sure everything is the way that it should be.

* * *

Flash Back

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"Naruto… I don't think I can stand…" Sasuke said, as he hidden behind the cover of a rock tying a strip of his torn shirt over a gaping wound in his thigh. Nearby taking cover behind a tree is Naruto who is clutching his left shoulder applying pressure to his own wound. The both of them have been taking a beating and it looks as if Naruto is on the verge of finally giving up as Madara Uchiha stands out in the open taunting them.

"I can't believe that I ever worried about you the son of the great Yellow Flash!" Madara says, "And don't even get me started on the disappointment that is suppose to be from MY UCHIHA clan."

"Sasuke, I have an idea." Naruto said, as he gave Sasuke that ever famous Uzumaki grin that he loathed with all his being, but something about it this time calmed the Uchiha instead of incite him. Naruto pulled his blood stained hand away from the wound on his shoulder to look at the precious liquid that give life to all living beings before he looked towards the wound itself which now looked like nothing more than a flesh wound thanks to the Kyuubi's healing abilities that have been enough to keep him alive for now despite the fact that it's being slowed down by what ever kind of control that older Uchiha has over it.

"It better be a great one dobe." Sasuke said, as he finished tying the strip of cloth around his would before making some hand seals that Naruto has seen before, but by Sakura. It became obvious to Naruto that he had used his Sharingan to copy some of Sakura's healing Ninjutsu, but from the looks of it even with the Sharingan he couldn't completely master the techniques. Naruto with his bloody hand pulled one of his last kunai knives from his holster before turning to look at Sasuke again.

"It is… we use his own technique to our own advantage." Naruto replied, which just made Sasuke think Naruto's lost too much blood as even his idea that he had a feeling wouldn't make sense made even less sense than he thought possible. However, Sasuke could only watch as Naruto left the cover of the tree to throw the kunai quickly at the older Uchiha before returning to the safety of the tree. Neither one of them had to watch the kunai, because they knew the end result as Madara easily phased the weapon through his body.

"How do you plan on doing that with a simple kunai?" Sasuke says, "I could come up with something better in my sleep."

"Have you noticed how he phases all of our attacks right through himself?" Naruto asked, even though he knew that Sasuke was going to snap at him for asking such a question.

"I would hoped that you noticed that at the start of the battle instead of just now." Sasuke snapped, wondering if Naruto's ever going to cut to the chase and reveal this blockbuster of an idea that he has, but Naruto just remains quiet as he pulls his last kunai knife out of his holster. Sasuke is about to tell at Naruto not to waste another kunai knife by throwing it at Madara, but he ends up just staring in disbelief as Naruto throws in the opposite direction further in to the tree line. Naruto turns his attention back to Sasuke with that grin still plastered on his face.

"But have you noticed how he does phase us through him when we try to grab him?" Naruto asked, calmly and for a moment Sasuke didn't get what Naruto was trying to say, but then he realized that Naruto was right. They have been able to grab a hold of him several times and every time he either threw them off somehow or used some other means of popping Naruto's clones.

"What does that have to do with you wasting not one, but two kunai's now?" Sasuke said, in a scolding manner, but Naruto didn't finch again showing Sasuke a resolve that he has never seen before from the number one hyper active knuckle head ninja. Naruto turns his body enough again to peek out in to the clearing to see what Madara is doing and he isn't surprised to see the older man sitting down relaxing. Naruto just stares at the man not trying to figure out why he doesn't finish the battle, because the answer was obvious. This battle wasn't his to win… it was their to lose and he was conserving his chakra and his physical stamina to move on to the next battle against the rest of the Leaf shinobies.

"It doesn't matter… listen I'm going to use Kage Bunshin (Shadow Clone) again." Naruto said, as he pulled himself back in to the complete coverage of the tree laying his head back against the trunk. Sasuke was once again left staring at Naruto with out a clue of what's going on in his head, because Naruto was never one to tell his partners what he's going to do… he usually goes a head and does it leaving the rest of the team to figure out what his plans are on their own. Sasuke couldn't tell if Naruto was finally maturing in to a real ninja or if this battle has finally gotten to him and he's second guessing himself.

"What good that going to do?" Sasuke asks, "At best you will be able to grab a hold of him for a minute." Sasuke added, after realizing that Naruto obviously had a reason by bringing up the fact that Madara has allowed them to grab a hold of him. Sasuke though just couldn't figure out what the end game of his plan was going to be. So he just kept looking at Naruto hoping that something about his body language would tell himself, but what he saw disturbed him. Naruto unzipped what was left of his shredded jacket to reveal the Hokage necklace that he grab from Tsunade to grab a hold of it with his blood stained hand. _"Is he praying that this works?"_

"When I have a hold of him… I want you to use Amaterasu." Naruto said, which caused Sasuke just to stare at him blankly for several moments. He knew that Sasuke wasn't going to like this idea when it sinks in and that he will try to talk him out of it, but there is no other way for them to win this fight. Naruto took in a deep breath holding it in his lungs before he slowly starts to let it out as he tries to steady his own nerves and to steel his resolve. Sasuke just blinked several more times at Naruto before what he was suggesting hit him.

"That's suicide!" Sasuke exclaimed, as he pushed himself up on to his feet with look on his face that he wants to slap that grin off Naruto's face, but that doesn't seem to phase the blonde haired shinobi in the slightest. Sasuke can't say that he hasn't thought about killing Naruto in the past, but here was Naruto asking him not only to kill him and Madara, but to do it not only to save the village from destruction, but also to save his life. The one that not only betrayed their village and has attempted to kill not only him, but this former teammates. His soul isn't worth saving… if anyone should sacrifice themselves to win this battle it should be him.

"I know…" Naruto says, "Tell Ino that I think I love her too."

"What?" Sasuke said, he couldn't believe what he was hearing… he knew that Naruto was going to calmly say that he knew what he was risking in this gambit, but he never expected to hear him confess that he loves Ino. It made Sasuke wonder what has been going on in the village since he's been gone since the last thing he knew was Naruto was fiercely in love with Sakura. "Dobe… don't you think that's reason enough not to commit suicide! You should tell her yourself!"

"Sasuke it doesn't matter if I get to tell her, because if we don't do this we'll all be dead." Naruto said, and he knew that his words would ring true with Sasuke, but he knew that he was still going to try talk him out of doing it. He wouldn't be much of a friend if he didn't, but this is just something that had to be done just like what the Hokage's of the past have had to do to protect the village.

"What about your dream of becoming Hokage?" Sasuke said, hoping that would be more than enough to make Naruto reconsider what he's doing, but if anything it only helps him make his decision to do it. The amount of resolve and determination in his eyes is enough to unnerve Sasuke unlike ever before as if he is coming to a realization that he looking what a true hero is.

"The one thing that always eluded me in my dream of becoming Hokage hit me." Naruto says, "To truly be worthy of becoming Hokage you have to be prepared to give your life to protect the village. I'm ready to make that kind of sacrifice."

"Naruto… you don't have to make that sacrifice as your not the Hokage!" Sasuke said, out of frustration as his inability to get anywhere with talking Naruto out of this suicide mission.

"If I had that thinking I'd never be Hokage… I'm sorry Sasuke, but this has to be done. Please don't hesitate, because we'll only have one shot at this." Naruto said, as he took another deep breath, but this time it wasn't to calm his nerves it was to help him mold his chakra evenly together as he needs to be perfect this time. There could be no half assing it this time with the number of clones that he is going to have make in order for this plan to have even half a chance of working.

_"Naruto… "_ Sasuke thought, he still couldn't believe that Naruto wants to go through with this idea, but he's realized that there is nothing that he could do to change his mind.

"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" Naruto yelled, and in a blink of an eye the surrounding area was swarming with at least fifteen hundred perfect replicas of Naruto Uzumaki not counting the real one among them. Then as soon as they appeared they rushed off to attack Madara who was waiting for them standing in the fighting stance best suited to take on the number of opponents he has to face. Sasuke started to doubt Naruto's plan, because he was starting to get the feeling that Madara was on to the idea so he peeked out from his hiding spot and what he saw took him back to a day he'd never forget, because it was the day he became a true Uchiha.

_"I see… "_ Sasuke thought, as the clearing was beginning to be covered with the smoke from the popping clones of Naruto. It was just like the battle against Zabuza and Haku where they impaired Kakashi-sensei's Sharingan with mist. Naruto was doing the same thing with his clones that part of the idea was flawless, but the end of it still didn't sit well with Sasuke.

"NOW SASUKE!" Naruto yelled, and Sasuke despite his reservations about this idea closed his eyes briefly opening up with the Mangekyou Sharingan replacing Sasuke's normal one. Sasuke with out pause unleashed the powerful and unyielding destructive force of Amaterasu spelling not only the end to one of the greatest threats the Leaf village will ever know, but more importantly the greatest Hokage that they will never get to know. Sasuke drops down to his knees as he closes his eyes while a single blood tear runs down his right cheek.


	7. Ironic Twists

**A/N - I'm evil, evil person for the twists and turn I've taken in this chapter. Anyways I wasn't really looking to update Someday The Memory Remains at the moment as I've been trying to finish chapter twenty of The Unforgiven since early December, but my brother kind of bambazooled me in to writing this one and well it took on a life of it's own and finished it. Anyways, as always I hope that you read, enjoy, and review.**

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Ino just stood there with tears pooling up in her eyes, because she couldn't help it she could hear the truth in Sasuke's voice. As that sounds like something Naruto would do, because he was always striving to be accepted by the people of the village and she knows that ultimate kind of sacrifice would be more than enough to do it. However, she still didn't want to give up on her hope that he's still alive out there hurt, disorientated, and lonely… or worse out there alone still fighting Madara, because the both of them were able to survive Sasuke's attack. That thought brought up a conversation she had with Sakura several years ago when Sakura told her that Kakashi's Sharingan was rendered useless in the second fight with Zabuza, because of the Hidden Mist lowering the visible on the bridge.

"You could have missed…" Ino says, with a shaky tone in her voice as the tears continue to run her cheeks with the warmth of them stinging her cold face. "You couldn't see them and, and Naruto's head band could have just fallen off. Naruto is still out there alive and so is Madara probably!"

"That's not possible…" Sasuke said, his tone low as he is reliving the pain of that day as the screams of Naruto and Madara both filling his head.

"No I'm right… you couldn't see them and Sharingan isn't as perfect as everyone tries to make it out to be." Ino says, as her confidence was slowly returning to her and her belief that Naruto is out there still alive.

"Ino as much as I want to tell you, your right…" Sasuke says, "I can't. The defensive and the copying abilities of the Sharingan along with some of the attacks can be hindered by sight, but not Amaterasu."

"Your lying… you have to see the target to hit it don't you?" Ino questioned, and the look on Sasuke's face told the story of what he was going to say. He didn't want to tell her the truth, but he knows that he has to because if he lets her continue on believing that Naruto is alive it's going to become unhealthy not only to her, but her team as well as she won't be able to focus on missions.

"No I don't… I just need to look in a general location and envision it in my mind. I know that I hit them both because of the connection that I have with the both Naruto and Madara made it easy for me to hit the both of them."

"What do you mean made it easy for you to hit them?" Ino asked, as the confusion etched on her face was paramount and again the look on Sasuke's face told her he didn't want to answer the question, but that he was going to so that she can hopefully move on from this obsession she has with Naruto being alive still.

"Madara's Uchiha chakra… I can sense from five miles away and Naruto's… unique chakra I can sense from ten miles with out actually seeing them." Sasuke said, and the gravity of the situation hit Ino hard as her body started to collapse falling down to the hard ground. Sasuke didn't let her hit the ground as he caught her and pulled her in to his chest knowing that she needs more than little bit of comforting at the moment.

"No… you missed you had to have missed." Ino cried, as she sobbed violently in to Sasuke's chest still hoping that he would tell her that he was just joking around with her even though she knows that he isn't one to joke around.

"Ino… keep Naruto's head band hidden behind your own head band…" Sasuke says, "Keep his memory alive, but don't forget to live your own."

_"Sasuke…" _Ino thought, to herself as she was trying to think of something to say to the young man that has turned her world upside down on it's ear, but is going to allow her to keep the only piece of Naruto she has despite the fact that it could wind up putting them both in jail if anyone else ever finds it.

"For what it is worth… I really do believe that Naruto loved you and that is why it was so easy for him to decide on doing it even knowing that he wouldn't make it." Sasuke said, after Ino's tears had subsided just a little bit, but the moment that she processed the words spoken by Sasuke the tears started anew. Sasuke is about to say something else, but stops himself as the both of them sense someone nearby and headed for their location. Sasuke lets go of Ino and takes up a fighting stance, because even though Tsunade allowed both him and Juugo the right to call Konoha home and to become Leaf ninjas again at least in Sasuke's case he knew that some would still harbor grudges against him.

"Lord Sasuke…" Said this massive form as it landed right next to the both of them. Ino was frightened by the appearance of this gigantesque man, but Sasuke on the other hand dropped his guard when he realized that it was Juugo. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I have some important news to share with you."

"What is it?" Sasuke said, sounding a little less irritated than what Ino would have expected from him to be considering how impatient he was when he was just a Genin before he left the village. It just goes to show how much he has grown as a person as much as how Naruto did when he came back from his training with the toads on Toad Mountain. However, the thing that she was finding more interesting than that was Juugo bowing down to Sasuke as if he was some kind of feudal lord or something. Which makes a little bit of sense considering that Juugo addressed Sasuke as lord.

"The Lady Hokage has requested us to meet at the front gate of the village tomorrow morning to briefed on a mission to Wind Country along with Team Kakashi and Yamato." Juugo said, as he lifted his head a little bit to look at the blonde haired kunoichi who was looking more than a little bit confused as she didn't know of any mission briefing in the morning.

"What mission? I have no clue what you are talking about and I'm a member of team Yamato!" Ino snapped, as she started to wipe her eyes dry trying not to take either of her eyes off Juugo or Sasuke thinking that something was going on between the two of them. As fear starts to build with in her wondering if she had fallen in to some kind of trap set by Sasuke.

"The mission was just handed out by Lady Shizune." Juugo says, "She asked me to pass the message along to you as well, because she apparently missed you at the bar when she informed your teammates as well as Sakura and Sai of team Kakashi."

"Oh…" Ino said, realizing that she had over reacted a little bit when she saw Shizune enter the bar earlier by jumping to the conclusion that she was there to inform her friends of her punishment and probation that Tsunade the Lady Hokage handed down earlier than that. Ino turned her attention towards Sasuke who looked more than a little caught off guard by the news of them already being sent on a mission, but that they were being sent with Ino's team, but more importantly that they we're being sent with the team that sent most of their time for the last several years hunting him down.

_"She's wasting no time in testing our loyalties."_ Sasuke thought, to himself before he and Juugo both disappeared from Ino's sight leaving her standing there alone wearing Sasuke's cloak. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew that she was going to need her sleep if this mission they are being sent on going to be physical in anyway, because the last thing she wants to do is disappoint Naruto.

* * *

The Next Day

* * *

"Listen up, because I'm only saying this once!" Tsunade hollered, making sure that everyone of the assembled ninjas would be able to hear her despite it being early in the morning and more than half of the village is still asleep at this hour. Shizune herself looks to still be half a sleep as she starts to wave her hands in front of her chest trying to get her Mistress' attention.

"Milady it's too early in the morning for all the shouting." Shizune said, voicing her concern, but all that manages to do is get her dirty looks from Tsunade before she turns her attention back to the teams that will taking part in the mission.

"I don't know how many of you know this, but Suna is dealing with a natural disaster." Tsunade continued, on as if Shizune didn't say a thing and for a moment the shinobies standing in front of her just stared at her wondering what that has to do with the mission they are being sent on.

"Lady Tsunade… what does that have to do with this mission? I heard we were investigating a village." Sakura asked, looking as if she was the only one of them brave enough to ask the question. As everyone awaited the answer both Yamato and Kakashi stood towards the back of the group looking as if they were trying their hardest to keep the details of mission to themselves as they were briefed last night to help come up with a strategy to make the mission go smooth.

"Due to the natural disaster, Suna, has requested our help in investigating Isoshigi." Tsunade says, "A small village within Wind Country that appears to have been burnt to the ground as a result of a possible hostile attack against the Sand Village."

"I see…" Shikamaru said, to himself as he was already starting to figure out that it was more than just that considering the fact she is essentially sending three separate teams on this mission.

"For this mission you will be broken down in to several groups. Shizune…" Tsunade said, as she cast a glance towards her assistant as she looked to be nearly asleep on her feet before jumping to attention nodding her head.

"Right!" Shizune exclaimed, "Yamato, Chouji, and Juugo… you three will be working together to shift through the debris looking for clues, survivors, and unfortunately corpses as well."

"Sasuke and Kakashi the two of you will provide support while serving primarily as look outs to protect everyone." Tsunade added, while Shizune took a short second to catch her breath before continuing.

"Sai and Shikamaru with your unique jutsus you will provide Kakashi and Sasuke with support to defend against attacks, but primarily the two of you are going to be in charge of communication." Shizune says, "Sai will be in charge of keeping us informed of the situation while Shikamaru you will keep Suna informed."

"Sakura you will in charge of running a triage for any survivors found. Once this mission starts if you have any questions… please direct them towards Kakashi he's official team leader of this mission, but Yamato is just as qualified and as such is second in command." Tsunade said, and everyone with the exception of Ino nod their heads in understand and start heading through the gate to get going as it's going to take a few days to reach Isoshigi."

"Excuse me… Lady Tsunade?" Ino says, "What am I suppose to do?"

"Oh Ino…" Tsunade exclaimed, as she was caught a little off guard as she wasn't expecting Ino to be there this morning considering the fact she was demoted back to being just a Genin. Several awkward minutes go by as Kakashi and the others are getting quite a head of Ino leaving her behind. "Your mission is a little different than their's."

"Really? But still don't you think they should wait for me or you should tell me so I can hurry and catch up with them?" Ino said, a little on the impatient side of things as she knows the further that they get a head of her the harder it is going to be for her to catch back up to them.

"Kakashi and Yamato, both know of your mission so don't think any of them are going to worry about you missing." Tsunade said, which got her an angry stare from Ino and the older woman could already figure out what she was thinking. She knew that Ino was starting to think that her "official" mission was going to be give Naruto's head band back.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ino said, trying to hold back from mentioning the head band just incase that isn't what this is about. As the last thing she wants to do is remind Tsunade about the head band, because there is no telling what she would do today to try to get it back from her.

"Your mission is to escort Baki back to Suna." Shizune chipped, in as she could feel the tension between the two blondes building up to a boiling point and she was still holding out hope of not waking the whole village up.

"Shizune is correct." Tsunade says, "Gaara and his siblings left him behind so that he could rest, but once you reach Suna you are to report to the hospital."

"The hospital? Wouldn't Sakura…" Ino started to say that she feels Sakura would be better off at the hospital, but she doesn't get to finish what she is saying before Tsunade cuts her off.

"Normally yes, but in this case you are needed though ideally I wanted to send your father, but I need him here to help search for where you hid Naruto's head band." Tsunade said, with a stern tone in her voice even though she knew that Ino still wasn't going to give back the head band and now she was looking more confused than before as her father doesn't have any kind of medical training. "You are going to the hospital, because the initial Sand team that found the village found a survivor."

"Okay, but again wouldn't Sakura be better than me?" Ino asked, again this time actually getting the complete sentence out. However, she wishes she hadn't as the vein in Tsunade's forehead started throbbing.

"The patient is in stable condition and surprisingly looks like he is going to make it." Tsunade says, "Despite the fact he's going to be extremely disfigured as nearly ninety-five percent of his body was burned, but currently he is in a coma. Thus this is where you come in… with your family's jutsu you can identify him as either a member of Isoshigi village or if he's one of the attackers and ultimately find out details of what really happened to pass on to the others."

"I understand." Ino said, as it all made perfect sense now why she was separated from the other's, but there was something else that is weighting on her mind now. The survivor is a burn victim… Naruto and Madara fell victim to Sasuke's Amaterasu which is a fire based attack… the survivor could be Madara or Naruto. Just the thought of it made Ino weak in the knees that she will be able to prove to everyone that she was right all along that he wasn't dead. However, she couldn't even fathom what she was going to feel like if it turned out to be Madara instead of Naruto. Though it would give her a little prove that Naruto could have survived, the attack, but just the though of being so close to the man that Naruto was willing to give up his own life to defeat would be too much.

* * *

The Hyuuga Compound

* * *

Across village at The Hyuuga family compound Hinata was sitting on her knees in front of a couple of stairs that lead up to the place mat that the head of The Hyuuga clan sits upon. The head of the clan of course is her father and as he looked down upon his eldest daughter he didn't look all that happy. If anything Hisashi Hyuuga was more than a little ashamed and disappointed in Hinata, but not for the usual list of reasons.

"Hinata, your little stunt with that Yamanaka girl was no way for the Hyuuga heiress to act." He said, as Hinata kept her eyes focused down towards the floor as she didn't want to see the look in her father's eyes at the moment.

"I'm sorry father." Hinata said, her voice conveying that she was truly sorry for how everything played out, but at the same time Hisashi could tell that his daughter would make the same choices if she were to relive that moment again.

"I don't see why you felt the need to fight with her concerning Uzumaki… he's dead and thus just a memory." He added, and the words stung Hinata to the core as even though she doesn't have Ino's resolve to believe that Naruto is still alive despite the evidence or lack there of no one can deny the fact that she's loved Naruto for years and still does.

"Father, I loved Naruto and she was implying that I didn't." Hinata says, "I had to defend my integrity against her lies."

"Hinata… it doesn't matter what she says…" Hisashi says, "Even if Uzumaki was still alive I would never approve of you having a relationship with him and I certainly wouldn't allow you to marry him."

"Wh-What? Why not father? Surely you're not over looking all of what he has done for the village, but also the fact that he is the son of the Fourth Hokage!" Hinata said, as she finally turned her eyes upwards to look at her father in the hopes of seeing that he was just joking about it. However, from the look in his eyes she could tell that he was dead serious about it.

"I don't discredit what he has done, but I do discredit his family." Hisashi says, "Minato Namikaze was a great Hokage, but as the head of his family he lacked good sense."

"What's that suppose to mean father?" Hinata asked, as she couldn't see why her father would have such a problem against a great war hero and one of the most respected Kages of all time. Surely, it would have been a godsend for any father that their daughter married someone from such a strong bloodline like his and Naruto's.

"He spat in the face of tradition and I will not allow my daughters to marry in to a clan that doesn't respect tradition." Hisashi said, but the answer didn't do Hinata much good as she still just sat there on her knees looking more and more confused over the conversation.

"…" Hinata couldn't even bring herself to ask her father again what he meant and just hoped that he would continue to explain.

"It's time you learn of your fate Hinata." Hisashi says, "Before you and Naruto were born I approached Minato about arranging a marriage between you and Naruto in line with Hyuuga clan tradition, but he refused. Saying some hogwash that he wasn't going to decide his son's fate for him and thus why I wouldn't have allowed you to marry Naruto as I want someone that will uphold tradition not tear it down."

_"Marriages are arranged?"_ Hinata thought, to herself as she never knew that about her own clan, but now fear was setting in that her father was going to force her to marry Neji, her own cousin for the sake of tradition considering that now a days many of the clans she knows about have stopped practicing that old ritual with the exception of her own clan.

"It was hard to find another clan still arranging marriages even back then as everyone started to feel the same way as Namikaze. However, I was able to find one with out resorting to give you away to member of the branch family." Hisashi said, as Hinata let out a small sigh of relief that she wasn't going to have marry her own cousin, but she was still worried about who she is going to have to marry.

"Who…" Hinata was barely able to get out as her voice had became so shaky with nerves.

"At the end of the year, Hinata, you will marry…" Hisashi said, pausing for the simple fact that it was going to drive his daughter crazy. "Sasuke Uchiha, but until then I'm ordering you stay away from Ino Yamanaka as the last thing I need is you to mess this up."

_"Sasuke? Why him?"_ Hinata thought, to herself as she knows the moment that this arranged marriage becomes public knowledge she is going to be the most hated woman in all of Konoha considering the fact that at one point every girl from their class at the academy loved Sasuke and wanted to have his babies with the exception of her… what a cruel ironic twist of fate this has turned out to be.


	8. The Fire Of Vengeance Led Mishaps?

**A/N - Here's this weeks chapter... which I hope that all of you enjoy like I have enjoyed writing. However, before you get down to reading it I just wanted to say that I don't know much about the members of Team Taka other than what I have been able to see up to Vol. 47 of the manga and and they haven't even made their first appearances yet in the DVD's of the anime I have yet. So I have a little to go on about them. So if they seem off to you I'm sorry, but I'll talk more about it when Karin's secret that I'm building up to is revealed. Until then please read & review.**

* * *

Hinata walked aimlessly around the village with only one thing on her mind and that is she has been arranged to marry none other than Sasuke Uchiha. Which is wrong on so many levels it isn't funny. For starters she couldn't tell anyone about the news, because she is more than likely there are still a few women of the village with the mind set on marrying the last member of the Uchiha clan, there's the fact she's never been in love with the young man to the point where she has never even thought about him other than when she was trying to help Naruto find a way to bring him back to the village, but most of all he was the last person to see Naruto alive.

_"Last one to see Naruto alive?"_ Hinata thought, _"Maybe I can ask him to fill me in on the details of Naruto's death."_ Hinata smirked at the idea even though she didn't really want to know the details like she doesn't want to marry Sasuke, but anything that could make her closer to Naruto than Ino was worth it. Only problem is she doesn't know where to look for him at, because the Uchiha compound has been abandoned for years since the slaughter of the Uchiha's and she doubts that Sasuke would want to stay there after what happened. The only other place she knows where to look is the apartment that he had before he left the village, but that's just as doubtful as it isn't like the land lord would willingly hold the apartment off the market for someone who no one knew if he'd could back to the village. Which left Hinata with only idea as to who would know where Sasuke is staying at the moment and that is Lady Tsunade.

"Lady Hinata, where are you going?" A voice called out to her as she made her way towards the entrance in to the Hyuuga compound of the Hidden Leaf village. Hinata didn't have to turn around to know who it is that is addressing her, because there is only one person that addresses that her in that moment is her cousin Neji.

"I'm going to see if maybe Kiba and Shino want to get a little a practice in today." Hinata says, "With the way things have been we've sort of slacked off in that area."

"I understand, but Lady Hinata remember your father's order to stay away from Ino." Neji said, with the tone of his voice a little on the cold side as if he didn't believe Hinata's reason for going out of the compound. While it's a lie in a way, but she doesn't have any intention of seeking out Ino to finish what was started between the two of them at the funeral for Naruto.

"I have no intention of going any where near Ino." Hinata said, but she knew Neji well enough he could pick out of her tone of voice that she was telling the truth, but lying at the same time. Her main goal was to find Sasuke and find out as much as she could from him about Naruto's final moment's of life, but if she happened to cross paths on the way there or back… well there would be a good chance that she will finish what was started.

"Regardless… I think I will accompany you until you've met up with your teammates."

Neji replied, as Hinata thought he would, because he isn't one to allow a person that he doesn't fully trust out of his site… even if that person is his innocent cousin Hinata. Which has been much the same with the rest of the friends ever since the funeral was ruined.

"That isn't really necessary Neji." Hinata said, hoping that just this once he would cave in, but the older boy just shook his head "no". Hinata sighed a little bit, because the last thing she wanted was for Neji to come with her, because now she will really will have to seek out Kiba and Shino to train which will push back her plans for several hours if they are even free to do some light sparring.

"Shall we?" Neji said, knowing as if he knew that he had beaten Hinata as he gestures for her to take the lead. However, before either one of them have a chance to move towards the gate of the compound a green mass of spandex lands right in front of Neji. Which makes Neji raise an eye brow in frustration as he knows what's about to happen as it happens this time of day every day…

"NEJI! Once again it is high noon!" Rock Lee exclaimed, as he stood up straight looking in to the scowling lavender colored eyes of his greatest rival.

"Not now Lee… I'm busy." Neji said, trying to brush Lee off as he always tries to do, but he knows that it isn't going to be that easy as he hasn't been able to shake him once like Kakashi hasn't been able to shake Guy since their rivalry started many years ago when they were just children.

"But it is high noon, Neji it's time for our next match in our rivalry." Lee says, "And you know if Guy-sensei finds out that ducked out one of these challenges he will have you on latrine duty for a month."

"Fine…" Neji said, with a sigh as he closed his eyes knowing full well that Hinata was going to take off at the very moment with out him. The only solace that he can take in this whole daily challenge is that Guy-sensei said that it would end when one of them have exactly one hundred wins more than the other. The same stipulation that he and Kakashi have and they stand both with seventy five wins apiece. Meaning that neither one of them are close to winning the challenge, but in his and Lee's case it currently stands as Lee with zero wins and Neji with ninety eight wins.

"Good and I pledge that if I don't beat you that I will clean every latrine with in the village before sunset!" Lee said, as he struck up the nice guy pose giving Neji the thumb up. Neji just shook his head again he knew that promise was insane, but he has learned that both Lee and Guy-sensei will do what they do, because that's what they do.

"Fine… I believe it is your turn to pick the stipulation for today's match." Neji said, even though he has a pretty good idea of what the challenge is going to be and that's to a sparring match. However, much to Neji's surprise Lee looks at him with a sinister look in his eye. Which means only one thing that Lee is going to do something unexpected of him.

* * *

On her way towards the Hokage's tower to speak with Lady Tsunade about Sasuke's current living quarters she was luckily blessed by over hearing a conversation of a couple of Sasuke's fan girls talking about how he is currently staying in Naruto's old apartment while they iron out details of getting the red tape cleared for him to get his old apartment back. Which made Hinata smirk even more, because now not only was she going to be able to get to know the details of Naruto's final moments alive, but also get to see what the inside of his apartment looks like before Sasuke or anyone else for that matter changes it too much.

_"I'll make Ino regret ever crossing my path."_ Hinata thought, as she found herself standing outside of Naruto's apartment when something unexpected happens… she freezes in place as the butterflies in her stomach was making it more difficult than she thought it would to knock on the door. As she stands there trying to decide what to do a door down the hallway opens up and much to Hinata's chagrin Ino steps out in to the hallway.

"Thank you and if need anything else don't hesitate stopping by the shop." Ino said, before she turns away from the door as the person on the other side shuts the door. Right away Ino sees Hinata and decides not to pay her any mind and just walk by her.

"What you doing here?" Hinata snapped, not being nearly as calm headed as Ino was trying to be, but then again Ino had to keep it cool with her probation, and also because she was on a deliver for her parents flower shop as a way to pass the time until Baki is ready to make the trip back to Suna since she isn't allowed in to her room at the moment.

"Just making a deliver for my mom." Ino calmly said, as she tried to walk past Hinata to get to the stairs, but the young Hyuuga heiress steps in her way blocking it.

"Likely story… what are you really doing here?" Hinata asked, as she gave Ino a stern look as if she truly didn't believe Ino's reason for being in the apartment building. Even though she heard the young woman thank the costumer that she just delivered to.

"You got me Hinata… I'm really here to apologize for the way I treated you at Naruto's funeral." Ino said, which is partly true she has wanted to apologize to Hinata since her conversation with Sasuke last night. However, it wasn't on the top of her list and wasn't even on her mind right now as the moment important thing on her mind right now is getting to Suna and hopefully finding Naruto alive.

"Apologize to me?" Hinata said, more to herself as she was a little stunned that Ino would be looking to apologize to her after what happened. They both said some pretty mean things back and forth to one another, but then there is the fact that she had almost killed Ino with her Gentle fist attack had it not be for Sasuke stopping her in the nick of time.

"I said some pretty nasty things to you that I didn't mean." Ino says, "I was lashing out, because no one felt the same way that I did about Naruto and you were the easiest target."

"Who you calling an easy target?" Hinata snapped, Ino nearly had Hinata calmed down with her apology until she choose those words.

"Not as in an "easy target" meaning that your weak, but in the sense with your meek attitude and your feelings towards Naruto made it easy for me to attack you with out having to really strain to find something." Ino said, as she finally looked at Hinata who was just standing there now as she tried to find something in what she had just said to get even angrier. However, this time there wasn't anything really open to interpretation.

"I accept your apology." Hinata finally said, she didn't really want to accept it, but she figures that if her father did learn of this run in and that Ino tried to extend an olive branch and she smacked it away it would do her any good. At least this way she is able to say that they were coming to peace with one another despite the fact that she still wants to kick Ino's ass for the things she said at Naruto's funeral and the fact that she stole his head band to hold up the proceedings.

"So… why are you here, Hinata?" Ino asked, she didn't really want to know what she up to, but she figured that while they were making nice with one another she might try gauge what she's up to and if it's up to no good or not.

"Not that it concerns you, but I'm here to see Sasuke." Hinata said, as the tone of her voice was starting to sound more like the Hinata that everyone knew and loved, but it still held hostility in it.

"Oh… then I'm afraid you're too late. He's left the village on a mission." Ino says, as she once again tries to make a move around Hinata, but she is stopped again.

"How do you know that he's on a mission?" Hinata asked, in more of a demanding tone than in a subtle one.

"Because I was at the briefing for the mission this morning." Ino says, "As my team is assisting with the mission."

"If that's true… then why are you still here?" Hinata asked, sounding skeptical of Ino's answer as it would make sense for a member of the team to stay behind running small time errands when there's an active mission going on.

"I had to stay behind to escort Baki back to Suna while the rest of the team went on a head." Ino said, even though she knew she didn't have to justify why she was still in the village to Hinata and in fact knows that she could even get in trouble for sharing just that little bit of information about the mission to Hinata.

* * *

Karin watched Suigetsu warily as she panted from all the running that they have been doing as she was really beginning to regret letting him bait her in to this idea. They had just barely survived a battle to get away from a group of ANBU black ops that were trying to catch them, but he wanted revenge. She knew that it wasn't a smart idea for the two of them to go after Sasuke and Juugo especially since the two of them were traveling with two teams of Leaf shinobi, but her pride and anger got the better of her and here they are now trailing behind them towards the middle of no where.

Luckily they didn't have to worry about them detecting their chakra as it was nearly nonexistent at this point from fatigue considering they took no time to recover from their earlier encounter. Night was falling which for Karin was a good thing, because it meant that Sasuke's group would be setting up camp for the night which meant that Suigetsu and herself could as well. Which couldn't be coming at a better time as her ribs were really starting to bother her again as well as the bruises, bites, and cuts on her arms were starting to ache. However, she was trying not to show it as she forced herself not to wrap an arm around her rib cage as she looked over towards Suigetsu.

Who for the moment just seemed content on watching their pray as he leaned onto his sword panting heavily with a thick layer of sweat that's just dripping off his body and a cocky ass grin on his face. She glared at him knowing that he wouldn't be able to stay patient for much longer which leaves her hoping that her body will have had enough time to recover to save his ass.

_"This was a really bad idea…"_ She thought, just moments before Suigetsu took off charging towards Sasuke's camp, swing his sword in a large arc towards them. Karin couldn't help it as she stumbled backwards with a gasp closing her eyes. Seconds later she hard the massive sword make contact with the ground and everything seemed to be in slow motion when she opened her eyes back up. As her ruby red hair was plastered to sweaty face and forehead she could barely see him through the dirty lenses of her glasses, but she could see the twisted expression on his face as he walked back towards her.

"Here… I got dinner." Suigetsu claimed, as he tossed a headless boar at her feet. The look of horror that was etched on her face faded once she realized that he hadn't rushed in to fight them already.

_"Jackass! You could have told me what you were doing!"_ Karin thought about saying to him, but as she tried to open her mouth, to say it to him, but she didn't have the chance to as he plopped down on to the ground falling asleep nearly instantly.

Karin felt her anger raise towards her companion in leaps and bounds, because it wasn't bad enough that he nearly just gave her a heart attack, but he expects her to clean, and to cook dinner while he gets to sleep. She wasn't going to let him get away with it at least not with out paying a small price first as walked past the dead boar over to where Suigetsu's laying with an evil glare in her eyes behind her glasses. With any hesitation on her part she kicked Suigetsu straight in the face as hard as she could, but it didn't have the desired effect she was hoping for as he just continued to lay there sleeping as if he was undisturbed.

"Figures… you could always sleep through anything." Karin snapped, bitterly as she turned back to look at the boar. The last thing that she wanted to do was cook dinner, because it would mean that she would have to use some of what little chakra she has left to cook it in a manner that Sasuke and his friends wouldn't be able to detect from the smoke. Karin sighed, as she started to take a step back in the boar's direction when unbeknownst to her Suigetsu opened his left eye to look at her as he grabbed her right ankle effectively tripping her. She fell face forward and she was too fatigue that her reflexes were slowed and she wasn't able to brace her fall properly as all of her weight crashed in to the ground. Pain shot through out her chest, as the air just exploded out from her lungs, and she knew that the fall broke at least one of her ribs… possibly more. As she laid there limply she could feel that her chest had hit a fairly large stone that was hidden in the grass as she started to struggle to breathe more as pain started to resonate through her ears to where she didn't hear Suigetsu sit up none the less move closer to her, but she sure felt it when he nudged her pain ridden body with the toe of his boot. She screamed out in pain, as she rolled over on to her back, but she quickly turned her face away from Suigetsu hiding it in the grass as she started to whimper from the pain. While she placed her right arm over her ribs protectively from further prodding by the form Mist Ninja.

"Come on bitch, get up, dinner isn't going to cook itself." Suigetsu order, but Karin didn't reply in her normal way as she is in to much pain to snap at him. So she did the only other than that came nature to her and that was to purge the pain from her mind and to get back up to her feet. However, she found out that it wasn't going to be that easy this time… she found out that it was going to be impossible. Her breathe was getting more ragged with each passing moment which lead to her begin to cough as a flame of a kerosene lamp that was nearly out of fuel. The pain that came along for the ride had her wanting to scream again, but it was so intense that it was completely debilitating. Then as if out a horror movie things went from bad to worse as she was ravaged by another coughing fit, but this time as it came to an end blood came spraying from her mouth to speckle the grass and ground. Which to Karin meant one thing and that was making to her real start to panic as it meant that there was internal bleeding more than likely meaning that one of the broken ribs punctured a lung.

_"Sa… Sasuke… I love you!" _Karin thought, of the four very words she wanted to tell the last member of the Uchiha clan after the battle against Madara Uchiha had reached it conclusion, but couldn't bring herself to tell him after he informed them that he was returning to the Leaf and that Team Taka was free to do as they wished from now on. It wasn't so much of a shock when Suigetsu decided that he was going to continue on with his goal of collecting the rest of the Mist's Seven Swordsmen's blades as much as much as it wasn't a surprise that Juugo as well as Karin were going to stick with Sasuke. Well that was until he told her that he was returning to the village, because there was a kunoichi that he was set to get married to. She tried to reason with him that the village might take him back, because of his clan's heritage within the Leaf, but she told him that kunoichi… the pink haired one that was always chasing after them and he talked about constantly… there was no chance that she would forgive and accept him back in to her life. He insisted that she would which lead to her decision to seek out vengeance against not only Sasuke, but the pink haired kunoichi as well. Which is when Suigetsu offered to help her get achieve her goal which she still doesn't understand why he put his goal on hold to help her with hers.

"Karin, what's wrong?" Suigetsu asked, as he knelt down next to her while looking at her looking unsure of what's going on, but also whether or not he should touch her and if there is anything he can do to help her considering that he isn't the one versed in Medical Jutsu like she is.

"The fall… broke my… ribs." Karin said, which she struggled to form each of the words as every breath that she took was causing her searing pain. So she left it at that as she was more than a little afraid of the pain that would come from each syllable and she was trying to slow her breathing to where it's like she isn't breathing at all in an attempt to stop the pain all together. As there is just about nothing that she wouldn't do at the moment if it were to mean that the fire in her chest would quit and unfortunately she already knew that meant she was going to have to put her life in to Suigetsu's hands.

"Damn, I didn't think the fall would hurt you that badly. I must have pulled harder than I thought." Suigetsu says, as he looked down at her sneering in a way as the tone of his voice was border lining on cockiness and arrogance. Karin just laid there as she didn't know what is the worst part of the situation she has found herself in whether she knew that she was doing to die if nothing is done soon or the fact that she knows that she will more than likely die if she gets Suigetsu to do what needs to be done to save her life.

"They were cracked… from the ANBU fight." She said, the tone of her voice was now tight with pain as her glasses slid a little bit further down the bridge of her nose. Which was starting to bother her something awful she wanted nothing more to reach up and fix them, but she know that the pain would feel like it was killing her.

"Why did you say something… you idiot!" Suigetsu snapped, punctuating it with a scoff even though he was carefully watching her to make sure that she didn't try to something stupid like hit him. Karin though just sighed, it was now or never if she is going to ask Suigetsu to perform the equivalent to brain surgery with his level of knowledge in medical Ninjutsu. However, she didn't have a chance to build up the nerve to actually voice the words when she felt Suigetsu pulling at the thin fabric of her shirt. Which caused her to cry out in pain as he wasn't very subtle with his approach. Suigetsu jumped back a little bit unsure if he should have done that, but knows he has to do something soon or he's going to lose the person that recently became the most important person in his life despite the fact that he still treats her like shit, because he knows she still has feelings for Sasuke. He has to resist the urge of grabbing the shirt again to rip it open, so instead he reached out carefully grabbing a hold of a button, and started to unbutton it, pulling the fabric away from her body. His eyes immediately went wide in shock, as his smirk disappeared, as countless numbers of dark bruises cover her torso.

"Su… Suigetsu…" Karin tried to speak to him to explain the bruises, but she found herself unable to find the words that she needed to say. As he just stared at them as they ran underneath not only the bandages she had wrapped around her ribs, but her bra as well. Suigetsu knew that know he needed to be able to at her rib area with out the bandages which meant that he needed to take them off, but he couldn't ask her to sit up so that he could carefully take them off. So with out a second thought about it he grabbed the first bandage he could get a hold of lifting it up and chopping down on it with his shark like teeth biting through it and he continued to do that until all of them fell away exposing the rest of the deep bruises. Some of which looked fresh from the fight against the ANBU team they fought, but some of them had faded naturally meaning that they were much older… maybe from the Madara fight, but some of them were still just barely visible which means that are from the battle with Killer Bee… the eight tailed Jinchuuriki host.

"Why haven't you healed these? You're a medical ninja aren't you?" Suigetsu asked, in a serious tone as he doesn't know of anyone that would want to suffer with the amount of pain that she's had to have been going through so that each of the wounds can heal themselves naturally. Suigetsu waited patiently for the answer, but Karin didn't answer and he wasn't sure if she was going to or if she just stopped by the ensuing coughing fit that had more of her blood being projected from her mouth to splatter the ground leaving her lips and teeth stained red. Karin silently screamed by baring her teeth, as her face and body contorted from the pain until her muscles relaxed allowing her to lay back down as her breathing was becoming more jagged as they were becoming shallow pants.

"My lungs are filling with blood…" She finally managed to say as whisper while her eyes were barely even open behind her dirty glasses as she avoiding answering Suigetsu's question on purpose. Which meant to Suigetsu that there has been something she has been hiding from not only him, but the rest of Team Taka when they were all together.


	9. The Secret Revealed

"You didn't answer my question!" Suigetsu snapped, and again Karin didn't respond to him and that's when it hit him. She hasn't been able to heal the wounds, because she can't heal herself. "It's because you can't isn't it?"

"…" Karin still just remained silent as if she was going to let her pride get the better of her.

"Damn it Karin!" Suigetsu nearly shouted at the top of his lungs, but still she seemed unfazed by what he was saying, like she couldn't hear him as her eyelids fluttered open and closed quickly as she started to lose the last bit of consciousness left in her body. Suigetsu realizing what was going on with her reached up and slapped her cheek lightly drawing her back from the brink of unconsciousness for the moment as he said: "Come on. If you die whose going to make that pink haired bitch pay for taking Sasuke away from you?"

"…" Karin went to say something, but another cough stopped her in her in her tracks as blood filled her mouth. Suigetsu looked down at her ribs and was petrified at what he saw: They were misshapen, partly caved in to her chest in a sickening fashion that made Suigetsu want to throw up, but he knew that he didn't have the luxury of time to do so.

"What do I need to do?" Suigetsu said, as his voice was dead serious, but at the same time even with her senses dulling Karin could hear the fear in his voice. Karin spit the blood out of her on to the ground and then swallowed trying to get some sort of moisture in her mouth as it has gone dry despite the fact there was just blood in there.

"You have to remove the rib… from my lung." Karin said, with a bit of hesitation as even though she knew that there was no other choice in the matter she still didn't feel comfortable with the idea of Suigetsu performing surgery on her. It's sad, but she would be more keen to the idea of him going to get the pink haired bitch to come do it, because at least then she would be dealing with another trained medical ninja.

"I'm going to need a knife…" Suigetsu said, more than a little flatly as he looked over to where both their weapon pouches laid, but the thought of cutting her body open with a kunai knife didn't appeal to him as it was leave a very noticeable scar. However, he luckily noticed that Karin's hand was weakly trying to get in to her pants pocket. He pushed her hand out of the way and retrieved a small knife with just a plastic cap on the blade. This was what he needed a precision tool for a precision job. He uncapped the thin razor sharp blade he guessed as he inspected it in the waning sunlight.

"You have to… cut just below… my breast." Karin said, instructing him where to cut even though speaking was becoming more difficult as she continued to lose oxygen in her lungs as they filled with blood slowly drowning her. Suigetsu made the incision where she had told him too and then reached in with his fingers with out giving her any warning. Karin growled out in pain as her left hand grabbed a hold of Suigetsu's arm as hard as she could while her other one was digging in to the ground, while she clenched and started to grind her teeth together in a way to deal against the pain.

"I think I found it!" Suigetsu exclaimed, proud of himself for not killing Karin so far, but then he hesitated. He couldn't pull it out with the scalpel as he would risk causing even more damage with the slight of slips, but he couldn't quite get a hold of it with his fingers either. He turned his attention to Karin's face with was taut with pain, her jaw was clenched shut as were her eye even though her eye lashes were glistening with her tears. "I can't get it… what should I do?"

"Water…" Karin said, with a very raspy voice as in her mind can't for the life of her know why he didn't think of it himself.

"What?" Suigetsu said, as he looked more than a little confused as he wondered if the pain was starting to make her delirious now.

"Turn… your… hand… into… water…" Karin said, as her breath was so short now that she was barely breathing and barely able to say a single world as blood trickled down her cheek from her mouth to the ground below them. Even though part of it had to do was that she was trying to breath as little possible to spare herself some pain from her injuries, but more importantly so that Suigetsu didn't have to worry about cutting something vital while her chest raises and falls with each breath. Suigetsu just looked at Karin for a moment as if he needed to think about what she was saying further while noticing how she looked with the blood that freckling her mouth and that has stained not only the inside of her mouth, but her teeth as well red. Finally though he nodded to her as he placed his hand over the incision on her chest. He watched as she reflexively tightened against his touch and even though he didn't know what this was about to feel like or what it was that she feeling at the moment, but was sure about one thing…

"This is going to hurt…" Suigetsu said, and he knew if she could have at the moment she would have called him a pussy or something like that considering nothing could be worse than the pain she's already feeling. He looked back down at his hand as he needed to focus on it to make sure that this work with no hitches, but he hesitates again for the moment at the look of her side as it's covered in blood, as the dark red liquid was spilling out of her pale skin, making the dark bruises on her body stand out even more than they did which he didn't think was possible. It's at that moment he realized that Karin was really too thin to be shinobi as she looked unhealthy and very much sickly at the moment.

"OH SHIT!" Karin yelled out, as Suigetsu's hand started to liquefy and enter her body, causing the water to mix with her blood with in the wound. Suigetsu frowned as he concentrated, guiding the water to the bone and started trying to coax it out. He was quickly growing frustrated, but he knew that he couldn't rush if he wanted Karin to survive this ordeal. Karin's face was beginning to get covered with a thin sheen of sweat as it started to coat the dirt and the grass that's stuck to her forehead and the blood that covers her face from her spitting it up. Her skin was growing paler and her face was starting to slack a little bit even though she's in intense pain at the moment. Suigetsu finally managed to pull the bone from her lung and from her body as he held it up as if it were some sort of trophy as the water slowly started to turn back to his arm. He looked down at Karin to see if she was proud of what he had done, but mostly to see if she was feeling any better.

"I got it!" Suigetsu said, with a small smile on his face as he notices that Karin had unconsciously wrapped her body around his left arm which was placed on the ground in front of her abdomen. She was laying in the fetal position as he leaned over her in hopes of getting her attention as he knows that there still more he had to do like closing up the wound. "Now what do I do?"

"…" Karin coughed again as her whole body shuddered causing her to pull her body even closer to his as blood went flying from her mouth. The spatters of blood were getting thicker and heavier in their content as if pulling the bone out made it worse not getter.

"Pull it out? That was a stupid idea Karin, because now you are going to suffocate on your own blood! As I doubt you have enough chakra to heal the wound and that's even if you could do it yourself." Suigetsu snapped, the anger in his voice was fueled by worry and that surprised her as she started to see Suigetsu in a new light not just in his motivation to help her achieve her goal before his, but why he even attempted to help her just now. He's in love with her and in a way that even explains why he acts the way he does towards her, because he's afraid that she will never give him the time of day other wise. Karin panted lightly as she forced her eyes to open, but they only remained half lidded and glazed.

"I need… your arm." Karin said, as she winced while she spoke as her cheek pressed in to the ground. She was stunned when he offered his arm to her with out some much as a questioning glance her way. Suigetsu didn't bother to ask why, because he figured that there was only one reason why she would want it. Karin lifted her head weakly as she grabbed his arm near the elbow and his wrist weakly. Suigetsu thought it felt weird when he felt her pushing some of her chakra in to his body, but after a moment he realized that he couldn't move a single muscle. Then he felt her bite his arm along with something piercing his skin and then it began she started to suck on his arm, but it wasn't his chakra that she was extracting from him… it was his blood. It wasn't long before Suigetsu felt his life force slowly start to slip away from him, but luckily for him Karin's physical strength gave out as her hands slipped away from his arm breaking the hold her chakra had over him. Suigetsu snatched his arm back from her while jumping away from her holding it protectively.

"Jeeze, Bitch, what are you trying to do, kill me?" Suigetsu yelled, as he looked at Karin's face which was a terrifying sight to behold with the amount of blood covering it, but he didn't know any more how much of it was her and how much of it was his as he held the spot that Karin bit in the hope of stopping the bleeding. He watched her like a hawk as her eyes slid closed before her head fell back to the ground with a dull thud as her glasses finally fell out of her face. Suigetsu wasn't sure what to do, because the last thing he wanted to do was get to close to her to where she can bite him like that gain, but finally he moved with extreme caution as he grabbed her by wrist to check for a pulse. He never get a good hold on her wrist as she spring up wrapping her arms around his, but she didn't bite him she just held on to it and squeezed while her eyes remained clenched closed.

_"Crack, crackle, pop, crackle…"_ Suigetsu heard, clear as day before Karin screamed out in pain right in to his ear causing a ringing sensation and the best he could guess as what was going on was that her ribs were becoming broken apart to be set back in to the right position so that the rib cage itself can be reformed to it's proper place. Her grip tightened to the point that Suigetsu was starting to think that she was going to break his arm in have, but she held on for only a few more minutes, with tears slipping free from her closed eyes as she locked her jaw in the hopes of bearing the pain as her body suddenly went limp and for a moment it looked like she had stopped breathing, but slowly, very slowly her breathing started to remain to normal.

"Karin?" Suigetsu said, as he still looked more than a little worried about her, but when he looked down the incision that he had made just below her breast was beginning to close by itself and a few minutes after that Karin opened her eyes, but all she could see was a fuzzy and distorted looking Suigetsu hovering over her. She pushed herself to rise up in to a sitting position while her right arm protectively moved to her waist while her left hand reached down to pick up her glasses to put them back on. She coughed, as some more blood came out of her mouth hitting the ground, but at this time it's hard for either one to tell if's hers or his. She looked tired and disheveled, but she looked alright.

"Thanks…" She finally said, weakly as her face become a little more than flushed towards the former Mist ninja and she surprised him when she didn't protest when he helped her to her feet. She still felt more than a little dizzy and her body still hurt, but not much now thanks to Suigetsu and she was grateful that she decided to let him help her. Suigetsu turned away from her with a deep blush on his face as he realizing that her shirt was still open and he could still see her bra. Karin looked at Suigetsu wondering what his problem was all of the sudden, but she realized after a gust of wind made her top flap in it's open state. She quickly started to button her shirt back up.

"What was that all about with you drinking my blood?" Suigetsu asked, as continued to blush at the thought of seeing Karin's undergarments.

"I have a blood deficiency… that allows me heal people though them biting me and them sucking off my chakra and allows me to sense others chakra's." Karin says, "However, that same deficiency renders healing jutsu ineffective on me. There's a treatment for it, but if I take it… well I lose the ability to sense chakra."

"Okay, but that doesn't explain the vampirism." Suigetsu said, as he turned around to look at her to find her buttoning up the last of the buttons on her top.

"By drinking others blood I temporarily right the deficiency in my blood and my chakra goes on to autopilot healing my injury. However, the taste of blood and the fact that I could easily kill the person I drink from… I tend not do it often unless I'm desperate." Karin said, as she pulled her glasses off her face to try cleaning them on the only reasonably clean part of her shirt before replacing them. "So I try to always let my injures heal on their own if possible."

"I see…" Suigetsu said, and then just nodded his head in understand as it, but he had a feeling that she was still hiding something from him. Now it was Karin's turn to turn away from Suigetsu as she turns her attention back to the boar they have for dinner as she wonders what he would do if he found out that each time someone feeds on her chakra to heal their wounds that a part of their injuries are transferred to her body? It part of the reason why she still had lumps and bruises from their fight with the Eight Tails.

* * *

The Hyuuga compound is usually a place to find peace and tranquility, but many of the house keepers and clan member's attention has been drawn to the court yard where there has been a ruckus for the last twenty minutes that have has brought life to the seemingly dead compound. They are all engrossed in the most recent battle pitting their own Neji Hyuuga against his teammate and greatest rival Rock Lee for the ninety ninth time.

"I GOT YOU NOW NEJI!" Lee yelled, even though he was sounding like he was short on breath and the declaration was enough to make all of the nosy Hyuuga's gasp in shock that Neji has lost to someone of Rock Lee's caliber. However, they end up gasping again as there happens to be a reversal of fates…

"Not so fast Lee…" Neji countered, as the on lookers second gasp of surprise turn in to a sigh of relief knowing that their brightest youngster was still in control of the match.

"Good move, Neji, but take this!" Lee volleyed back towards Neji as the on lookers were once again stunned by Lee's ability to take control of the match up. Neji just stares at Lee for several moments before he starts to smirk again.

"Nice try, but this ends it!" Neji exclaims, as all of the on lookers start to cheer for him, but it's all short lived when Lee counters the last move Neji made with out much thought at all.

"Check mate, Neji." Lee said, proudly as the Hyuuga on lookers started to cry for Neji in his defeat, but Neji doesn't seem to phased by it as he just continues to look at the chess board looking for something that Lee might have missed so he can exploit it to his advantage. Luckily there was just such a thing as the piece that Lee used to get him in to "check mate" only had him in check as one of his pieces can not only take Lee's piece, but put Lee in to inescapable check mate.

"Sorry Lee, but it's now ninety nine to zero." Neji said, as he made the move to end the game in his favor and for a moment Lee just looked at the board to make sure the move was legal and to make sure that Neji didn't do something to cheat to win the game, but after a moment he accepts the finish the game and bows his head to Neji. Neji in turn bows his head to Lee as a show of respect, but both of them are caught off guard when not only their sensei come walking up to them, but he is accompanied by Neji's uncle the head of the Hyuuga clan.

"I thought I'd find you Lee." Gai said, as he flashed his bright smile giving Lee the good guy pose.

"Gai-sensei! What are you doing here?" Lee asked, as he stood up from the game table that the game board was set up on that he was just playing on.

"Lady Tsunade, is looking for us." Gai says, "There seems to be some super duper mission she has for us."

"Well then, best not to keep her waiting then." Neji said, with a sigh as he too stood up from the game board only to met with Gai-sensei reaching out towards him with his hand looking like a stop sign.

"Sorry Neji, but it's just me and Lee this time." Gai said, just before he took off towards the Hokage tower with Lee following right behind him. Neji sighed, in relief that the both of them were gone and that he didn't have to worry about going on a mission with him. However, he does turn towards his uncle who has been quiet this whole time just studying the game board that was in between the two young men just a moment ago.

"It seems that odd boy is getting better." Hisashi says, with an amused look in his eyes as he thinks it's great that Lee is getting closer to beating Neji as he is the feelings that Neji needs the competition to stay sharp.

"Yes he is, but one more win I'm through with these challenges." Neji says, with a confident smirk on his face, but it doesn't last long as he notices that his uncle is still staring at the game as if there was something that he had missed.

"Don't get cocky Neji… had that odd boy choose a different move he would have won this game." Hisashi says, just before he turns away from Neji and game board to head back to the main house of the compound. Neji scoffs at the idea that Lee could have won this game with a different move and goes to walk away from the game board, but his curiosity gets the better of him and he takes another look at the board.

"Son of a…" Neji started to say, but he didn't finish the sentence after noticing what it was that his uncle noticed… the move that could have won the game for Lee if he had taken it instead of the one that he ended up taking. Neji just stood there as he now had to determine if Lee's near victory was because he was truly getting better and understanding the game better or was it an over sight on Neji's part due to his over confidence that allowed for the near loss.


	10. The Killer of Hokages

It has nearly been a week since Ino made it in to the heart of Suna to start her start her mission of finding out who this mysterious survivor really is. The weather though since she arrived had been the true story… it was one sand storm after another, but now it was a freezing cold night, with heavy rain fall. A real storm if Ino may say, but that didn't stop the blonde Jounin from walking through it. Taking it just step by step letting the rain soak her clothes and run down her skin to the ground. Her entire body was chilled down to the bone, but that didn't change her goal. She had one last attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery as in the morning the Medical staff here in Suna was going to take the person off life support in a show of mercy. It also didn't help that the others hadn't been able to find anything out about what happened in the destroyed village and they were all being called back to the Leaf for new assignments.

When Ino finally arrived at Suna's hospital she saw where the two guards were standing underneath the awning to keep dry from the rain on this night shift. She didn't want either of them to see her in this state as her make up was running down her cheeks and she looked like a soaked rat. However, she didn't have a choice, because if she tries to sneak in to the hospital and get caught with out signing in she could start a war between the Hidden Leaf and Hidden Sand villages.

"Hey! What's your business here?" The guard of the left shouted once Ino had come in to his line of sight. Which normally would have happened a lot sooner, but with the moon's rays being blocked by the blackened clouds and the low visible with wall of water falling from the sky it was impossible to see more than a few meters in front of their faces. Ino watched as both of the guards prepared to attack her for trespassing after visiting hours or at least they were until they saw her Leaf band around her waist.

"Oh, your that Leaf shinobi… I'm sorry!" The guard quickly apologized, as the last thing he wanted to do was get on the bad side of the KazeKage. It may be against Hospital rules for visitors to enter the hospital after dark, but by decree of the KazeKage… Ino was to have to full access to the hospital no matter the time of day so that she find out the identity of the burn victim.

"It's no problem." Ino said, she didn't mind, because they were just following their orders to the best of their ability in this weather. She was just relieved that she was going to be inside soon to where she would be able to clean up her make up a little bit and change in to some dry hospital scrubs.

* * *

Elsewhere, Sasuke's eyes flew open from his dead sleep as something started to gnaw at his very soul. His eyes were slow to adjust to the dim light thanks to him having to squint to keep the rain water out of his eyes. When he could finally focus on what was going on he didn't believe what he saw… Juugo and Sakura were knocking down trees and then moving them with massive strength, Chouji was using his Human Expansion Jutsu to push against the nearby dam that looked on the verge of collapsing, Sai was painting to the best of his ability in the rain to convey their situation to probably both Suna and Konoha, as Shikamaru was in the center of it all calling the shots. However, something was wrong and something was missing…

"Where's Kakashi and Yamato?" Sasuke finally asked, as he jumped to his feet and rushes towards Shikamaru.

"Kakashi thought he saw someone off in the distance." Shikamaru says, "And the two of them went off to investigate."

"Makes sense." Sasuke said, but that was the only thing that was making sense at the moment. As he was nearly certain that this wasn't just a raging river in the rain. There was something more diabolical behind it which gave Sasuke only one resource that he could use to get to the bottom of the current situation. Shikamaru nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt the surge of chakra from Sasuke as he activated his Sharingan.

"What do you see?" It was Shikamaru's turn to ask the question hoping to find out a little bit of information that could raise their chances of survival. Sasuke though didn't answer him right back as he was focusing on the water and the dam to find what he expected. The water was raising thanks in part to the rain, but it wasn't what was attempting to break down the dam. Something, with a massive amount of chakra was physically attacking the dam in the hopes of weakening it to the point where the raising water would do the rest.

"I see chakra… and enough of it to where re-enforcing the dam isn't going to do a damn thing." Sasuke said, callously as he knew from past experiences as to who wields the chakra that is attacking the dam. Which means that someone else is also nearby waiting for the perfect moment to strike. "Sakura! Juugo! Come here… I have a better idea."

"Care to share with me first? Shikamaru was a little flustered with Sasuke's take charge attitude as whether or not Shikamaru wanted it he was left in charge considering he is the most experienced Jounin of the group. However, it had more to do with the fact that despite being an S Ranked criminal with Kage level abilities for several years… Sasuke Uchiha in the eyes of the Leaf village was still a mere Genin!

* * *

Not to far away from the group, Kakashi and Yamato, where locked in to a deadly battle with a mysterious hooded ninja. Yamato finished with a series of hand seals, which results in a wooden pillar shooting up from the ground heading towards the hooded figure. However, the pillar doesn't get any where near the mysterious ninja before it catches fire. With the wood burning now, the hooded figure jumps away to a safer place, but he isn't there for long before he has to jump in to the air to avoid a sweep kick from Kakashi. Kakashi spins around and goes straight to a vertical thrust with his right hand which is holding on to a kunai knife.

The mysterious figure though reaches down blocking this attack by grabbing Kakashi's wrist. The Hooded ninja than blasted Kakashi right in the face with a kick that sending him tumbling backwards as his wrist was let go. The mysterious ninja lands on his feet and spins around connecting to Yamato's face with a back hand. Yamato stumbles away from the hooded figure as he drops what appears to be a wooden mace to the ground. However, Yamato turns in to a wooden version of himself before dispersing in to nothingness. The mysterious figure turns his attention back to Kakashi, but the silver haired Jounin is struggling to get to his feet. Suddenly five wooden spears shoot up from the ground and with out so much of a flinch connect with their target.

"It's no good Kakashi…" Yamato said, as Kakashi just nodded in agreement as they both watched as the hooded figure was replaced by a pale of wood. Yamato scanned the area for their unknown enemy, but he wasn't having much luck in finding the ninja as he started to worry that he had left them to go after the main camp.

"I know… there's something odd about him." Kakashi says, "My Sharingan hasn't been able to read his movements."

"The Copy Ninja, Kakashi, and The Copy of Shodai Hokage." The person said, with a voice that chilling for a multiple reasons. First off it was the tone of the voice, but more importantly than that it was who the voice belonged to. The voice of a man that was thought to have been dead… Madara Uchiha!

"How is this possible? Sasuke and Naruto killed you!" Kakashi yelled, in his own defiance of that this man is the same man that helped founded the Leaf village, the man that was behind the Akatsuki, but the man that was said to have burnt to nothingness in Amaterasu by Sasuke. Kakashi and Yamato can only watch on in horror as the hooded shinobi pulls the hood back revealing his face: which is haggard by age and burns which are most like from Sasuke's Amaterasu. As it give them any reason to doubt what he was saying as they were staring directly in to the face of the man they believed had been finished by Sasuke.

"Kakashi… you don't think that…" Yamato started to voice the grim thoughts he was beginning to have, but he didn't get to finish the sentence.

"No… Sasuke can't still be in league with Madara." Kakashi said, even though he himself couldn't help, but wonder the same thing now. It was easy to believe that Sasuke had to returned to the village when they thought both Madara and Naruto were killed within the Amaterasu, but now with Madara right in front of them. It was becoming hard not to think that Sasuke and Madara ganged up on Naruto and killed him and came up with the story Sasuke told so that he could infiltrate The Hidden Leaf.

"Right… because if they were… we wouldn't be the targets." Yamato says, "The eight tails would be…"

"Exactly." Kakashi said, as Yamato's words re-enforced his belief in his former student change of heart.

"Bored now…" Madara said, as his hands flew threw a number of hand seals quickly. So quickly that Yamato's eyes couldn't keep up with them, but Kakashi's Sharingan was more than able to follow them to the point that he recognized them. Kakashi turned to warn Yamato, but it was already too late as stone spears similar to the wood ones Yamato had used earlier came out of the ground piercing Yamato's flesh. The blood was running down the stone freely and in abundance as the spears all had hit vital organs.

"YAMATO!" Kakashi yelled, as the stones started to retract from his body slowly and it didn't take the silver haired ninja long to know that he wasn't heard. Yamato's bloody crumpled down to the ground in a heap as his eyes lay fixated on Kakashi, but not really looking at him.

"That was easy… to bad Shodai Hokage didn't go down that quick." Madara said, as he smirked at Kakashi who was glaring back at him. Kakashi let his emotions get the better of him as he quickly formed several hand seals before dropping his right arm down towards the ground holding it at the wrist with his left one. Kakashi rushes forward attempting to drive the Lightening Blade through Madara's chest, but Kakashi's hand just goes right through Madara leaving behind no damage. Before Kakashi search Madara out his arm is grabbed and he feels chakra flowing in to his arm disrupting his jutsu canceling it out.

"Tsk… that was reckless. Didn't the Fourth Hokage tell you this move was too dangerous to use again run of the mill ninjas?" Madara said, coldly causing Kakashi to stiffen up as if he was just frozen from the inside out.

"How did you know that?" Kakashi asked, as his body remained frozen unable to move at all.

"I saw it… in your eye." Madara said, which just confused Kakashi even more, because with Rin implanting Obito's eye in to his own he has two eyes, but Madara was speaking in the singular sense of the word. After a moment Kakashi realized what he meant… only the eye he had been born with saw that conversation with Minato Namikaze on that fate day. Only that eye held those images in it, because at the time Kakashi's Sharingan eye still belonged to Obito and hadn't seen it up close and personal. Kakashi finally gets movement back to his body, but just as he pulls a kunai with his left hand to stab Madara with it… Madara with a violent twist of Kakashi's right arm snaps it in to two. Causing Kakashi not only to drop the kunai down to the ground as he fell to his knees in pain.

"You bastard!" Kakashi yelled, as Madara left go of Kakashi's broken arm with a smirk on his old withered face. Kakashi's eyes were both screwed shut from the pain radiating from his arm that he isn't following what Madara is doing next.

"You never stood a chance against me… The Killer of Hokages! Past, Present, and Future!" Madara exclaimed, before she shoved the finger tips of his hand in to Kakashi's left eye socket. Before a second later he rips the Sharingan eye Kakashi had acquired from Obito out of it. Kakashi quickly pulled his left arm away from his broken right one to cover the bleeding eye socket, but it was already too late. The greatest weapon and the greatest hindrance of his was taken from him a blink of an eye.

"…" Kakashi was completely speechless at the moment as he was trying to process what Madara said through the pain. He couldn't deny the fact that both the First and the Second Hokage mysteriously vanished from the village after the Third was chosen. The Third was killed in Orochimaru's attempt to over throw the village, but to Kakashi had always wondered why the former member of the Sannin choose that point in time to strike. The Fourth was killed when he sealed the Kyuubi in to Naruto, but again there was always that looming feeling that there was a mastermind behind it… That accounts for the past and present, but what did he mean by the future? Was he referring to Tsunade or was he… referring to Naruto?

"You know what they say… blind men tell no tales." Madara said, with an evil sing-song tone to as he drops the removed Sharingan down to the ground stepping on it squishing it underneath the sole of his scandal. Kakashi tries his best to kick at the elder Uchiha, but he misses by a mile as he's not used to the side his perception of his vision. Though he doesn't have to worry about it much long as jabs his thumb in to Kakashi's good eye with enough voice to gouge it out. Leaving the shinobi most aptly known as The Copy Ninja totally blinded.

"Why go through all this trouble to blind me? When we both know that you are going to kill me now!" Kakashi yelled, out in several directions as he couldn't see where the elder Uchiha was standing now to address him. Kakashi could understand him wanting to destroy the Sharingan to keep it from being plucked out and used by someone else against him, but his eye… it just didn't make any sense.

"Call me a sadist… now let's see how die from your own jutsu!" Madara says, before he mimics Kakashi from a moment activating the Lightening Blade as if he had known how to do it for years. Kakashi's face shows his fear of his impending death… he's actually pretty calm, because even though he won't be able to see the move coming at him he still has a couple advantages to his disposal. The first being that he will be able to hear Madara's approach thanks to the chirping like noise from the technique, but more importantly he will be able to smell him coming. Thanks in part to the fact that Madara's fingers are covered in his blood.

_"I have one shot at this…" _Kakashi thought, to himself as he waited for the attack that he knew he had take to some degree to hopefully land a fatal shot on Madara. Madara rushed up to Kakashi and thrust his palm in to the center of Kakashi's chest for the fatal blow, but Kakashi was just able to move enough to throw it off enough that Madara was only able to puncture Kakashi's right lung. Kakashi grabbing on to Madara's arm the best he can with his broken arm to keep him close just long enough so that he could grab and then stab Madara with the kunai he had dropped several moments ago. Kakashi had hit Madara squarely, but it wasn't a fatal shot like he had hoped, but he hit him in a spot that would severely raise the chances of someone defeating him now. As he had buried the kunai deep in to Madara's shoulder blade causing the Uchiha's left arm to go limp.

"Fine… I was going to show you mercy, but now you can suffer!" Madara said, as he pushed Kakashi down to the ground as the silver hair Jounin was starting to have problems keeping his breath. Kakashi didn't even try to get up to stop Madara as he heard the elder Uchiha being to walk away from him as he knew that it wouldn't do any good. Not only wouldn't he have a chance to stop him now in the condition that he's in, but also because he know that his body won't regain it's movement or feeling for quite a while thanks to the Lightening Blade's paralyzing ability.


	11. Regain Memories?

Ino successfully initiated her family's jutsu to gain entrance in to the burn victim's mind, but once again she found herself standing in a vast darkness that seems to have no end. Ino can feel the tears welling up inside of her eyes, because she knows that she has failed this mission despite the fact that she tried her hardest. This jutsu is the most powerful of all the interrogating jutsus that the Leaf village have to the point where no matter how much mental stamina someone has they can't resist it's so strong. Even if this person was fighting against it Ino would still be able to see their memories, but they would just be a little bit hazy and the voices distorted, but they'd be there.

The fact that this person seemingly has no memories of anything it's impossible for someone to block it that completely. Which means there is only one explanation to that outcome which is that he suffered a head injury that caused severe amount of damage resulting in amnesia. Which is something that Ino didn't want to have to report to Lady Tsunade or Lord Gaara, because it means they will never know the truth of what happened on the day that village burned or who this person is. With the plug being pulled to all this man to die to neutralize the chance that he is a threat means that no further medical treatment is going to be administered to him. Not that it would prove to be useful, because even though they now know that he is suffering a head injury doesn't help as healing the brain is nearly impossible with the proper jutsu and seeing as most of jutsu used to treat the brain have been forbidden.

_"This is it…"_ Ino thought, as she reached behind her head band and pulled the charred remains of Naruto's out from behind it. She sighed as she's been wanting to look at the head band for quite some time now, but with everyone watching her like a hawk hoping that she would tip them off as to where it is has made it impossible. At least while she here in this man's head she can look at the spiritual representation of it with out worry that someone will see it. As she goes to put it back though she notices that reflecting off the blackened and scratched metal was a slight sliver of light.

Ino gasped and nearly dropped the head band as she realized that slight sliver of light meant one of two things. That he was either starting to regain consciousness and his brain was starting to process it's first new memory or more importantly something stimulated his brain enough to where he was starting to slowly remember something that could be of use to both the Sand and Leaf in their investigate at the least, but most who he is and Ino will finally be able to prove that Naruto is still alive unlike what everyone else thinks.

_"What are you waiting for?"_ Ino asked, herself as she for several moments she just stood there staring at the light in the reflection of the head band. Ino quickly put the head band back behind her own and then started to run towards the light praying that she would finally find the answers that's she looking for. The closer she got to the light the bigger it became, but something strange happened. The way that her father always explained this jutsu was that she could look through 'lights' like this as a screen and watch the memories as they happen in front of her. However, she suddenly found herself engulfed in the light making her stop moving yet her body was still moving. She was watching the memory unfold in front of her, but she was watching it to the owner's eyes.

Who was currently walking through the Leaf village eating Ramen from a bowl. Both of which would go far in proving that this man is Naruto, but something is off about the memory. While she can see the Hokage Mountain and the faces of the first, second, and third Hokages the faces of the Fourth and Lady Tsunade are being blocked from her view. Also another thing… Naruto may love his Ramen to death, but she has never seen him ever walking around while eating it. That's when Ino feels a sharp pain to the back of the her head… had someone really just hit? Was it part of the memory or is someone attacking her back in the hospital?

* * *

Back at the site of the dam, Chouji is continue to struggle with keeping the dam from breaking, as Sakura and Juugo stand right next to Sasuke with Shikamaru just a couple of feet away from them.

"Will you please tell me what you are planning to do?" Shikamaru asked, as he was starting to lose his cool a little bit as he never been scooped on a planning anything before. Sasuke turns to look at Shikamaru with his Sharingan eyes still activated and he was just about to share his plan with the 'leader' of their team at the moment. However, he gets cut off by Juugo when he speaks up to say:

"It's Suigetsu isn't it?" Juugo said, not mincing his words in the least bit and all Sasuke had to do to answer him with a nod of his head.

"Which means that he's nearly unstoppable while he's in the water and in his water form." Sasuke said, which just got a nod from Juugo as he knew what Sasuke was getting at.

"Then how do we stop him?" Sakura asked, sounding a little more worried that she would have liked at that moment.

"I want the two of you to throw me as high in to the air above the dam as you can." Sasuke says, "And then Chouji when I tell you too I want you to pull away from the dam."

"I can't do that it would break!" Chouji snapped, but it didn't matter how he tried to hide it he was reaching his limit to both his stamina and chakra and it wouldn't matter if he moved or not.

"I agree with Chouji! If this guy is as unstoppable as you say than it doesn't make sense for Chouji to let go." Shikamaru said, with a smirk on his face as Sasuke plan wasn't that great of a plan and then started to formulate his own 'better' plan to save the day.

"Fine… if you want your friend caught in the cross fire, because of your pride… so be it! I'm the best option here, because Suigetsu and I are complete opposites. Juugo, Sakura… let's do it!" Sasuke said, and then moments latter he was flying through the air with the wind crushing his face, but he didn't let that stop him from making all the hand seals that he needed to make. Just as he hit the peak of his climb through the air the momentarily flashes of lightening were joined by a more constant presence accompanied by the sound of a thousand chirping birds!

"The Chidori!" Sakura said, the moment that she realized what it was that Sasuke was planning to do and started to worry about his own safety. He had given Chouji a chance to move out of why to protect him from the jutsu, but he didn't do anything to protect himself! In fact, she couldn't see why he was choosing to use the original jutsu over something like the Chidori Spear which would protect him better…

"Chouji! MOVE!" Sasuke yelled, as he started his descent towards the water thrusting his arm down towards it!

"DO IT CHOUJI!" Shikamaru yelled, after realizing what Sasuke meant by the statement that they were perfect opposites to one another. He was planning on using Suigetsu's water natures weakness… his own lightening nature. As Sasuke fell towards the water the attack on the dam subsided as water projectiles started shooting up towards Sasuke in the hopes of ending the attack before it starts. Sasuke is more than able to avoid the small projectiles with the help of his Sharingan… until one the size of a small house started to rise from the water…

* * *

Karin was watching from the shadows of the tree line looking more than a little worried about the situation. When they ran in to Madara and he made them a deal to help them take care of the Leaf ninjas and Juugo surrounding Sasuke she never thought it would be going this badly. Madara has left the two of them alone so that he could draw the two sensei's away from the camp, but he still hasn't returned yet and Sasuke had already figured out what was going on. In fact, with the looks of Sasuke's plan Suigetsu didn't stand a chance against him and that would leave her with five on one odds.

_"That idiot better keep Sasuke busy for a while…"_ Karin thought, as she mentally chided the rouge Mist shinobi, but even then with four on odds it isn't much better seeing as the remaining members of the team include three power houses and two battle tacticians and then add in the fact that she isn't much a fighter… it be a slaughter.

Suddenly though the battle field changed when it became dense with hot steam from over the dam and Karin knew that must have meant Suigetsu had to use the largest Water Bullet he could make in hopes of preventing Sasuke's attack from being successful. However, with the emergance of the steam can mean only one thing and that was Sasuke met it with an equally large Fire Ball to cancel Suigetsu attack out. Though she wasn't going to complain too much over his failure, because in doing so it gave her an advantage, because while they wont be able to see her she will be able to sense their chakra and attack them silently.

**'Clap… clap… clap…'** Someone was clapping, but she couldn't see who it was or why they clapping. Karin knew the only way she was going to get to the bottom of it was to start focusing in on their chakra.

It didn't take Karin long to locate Juugo and Pinkie as they were still standing relatively close to one another.

The boy with the black pineapple shaped hair was standing by himself. His chakra seeming had relax nature to it even though they were faced against an unknown number of enemies and both of their sensei's were missing.

The other black hair shinobi… the one she believes his name is 'Sai' is checking on the fat shinobi whose size has finally returned to normal.

The final source of chakra she located on the edge of the wooded area on the opposite side. However, she wasn't able to sense his chakra for very long as feedback from Sasuke's Chidori hitting the water and Suigetsu momentarily overwhelmed her senses. When her senses were able to return to normal it didn't take her long to find the person as he was standing in generally the same position as he was before. This time however Karin was able to sense the deep rooted evil in his chakra. The chakra was so evil that she would go as far to say the chakra of the Nine Tails fox was Saintly compared to this chakra!

_"Damn it!"_ Karin yelled, mentally at herself as she opened her eyes to find out that the opening she had was now gone. However, now she could see that the person that is home to that evil chakra is Madara.

"Hmm… So this is the team that the Kakashi and Yamato died trying to protect." Madara said, in more than a condescending tone in voice as he watched the color draining out of all their faces as what he said sinks in to their minds and they realize the meaning of it.

"No… your lying… they couldn't have lost to you!" Sakura yelled, as she was the one having the hardest time out of all of them coming to grips with it. Surely they had to be alive as the man in front of them was suppose to be dead… how in the world could a dead man kill two of the strongest Jounins in the Hidden Leaf village.

"Sasuke…" Shikamaru said, as his brain started to kick in to over drive trying to come to logical explanation of what is going on right now and the only thing that he can come up with is… Sasuke betrayed Naruto, that he's still working for Madara, and that he's on his way to the Hidden Sand to assassinate Gaara while Madara wipe them out. Then after words Sasuke would return to the village as the only "surviving" member and then possible murder Lady Tsunade as well.

"Now that you realize the outcome of this…" Madara didn't get to finish what he was saying as Chouji rushed at him even in his weakened condition in the hopes of ending the fight before it started. Madara though just spun out of the way of the attack and countered it with a downward angled kick targeted for younger man's knee. The strike landed and in the most sickening and effective way possible destroyed Chouji's knee making it impossible for the young man to stand back up after falling to the ground. "How rude… I'll save you for last."

"Chouji you alright?" Juugo asked, through gritted teeth after he came up from behind grabbing Madara in a bear hug!


	12. Memories and Secrets, Revealed?

Juugo had a solid hold on Madara, but things didn't stay that way for long. Madara slammed his head backwards in to Juugo's face effective breaking the slightly larger man's nose. Then in flash so fast that neither Sai, Sakura, Shikamaru, or even Karin saw Madara pull his katana out of it's sheath. Madara sliced Juugo so deeply that any normal person would have been killed instantly. Lucky for Juugo there isn't anything normal about him, but there was still a good chance that he was going to bleed to death if he didn't get the wound treated quickly.

"Damn it…" That's all Juugo could say as he fell to the ground with his right hand holding the wound trying to close the wound. As he's hunched over propping himself up with his knees and left hand holding him up the blood is just flowing out of the wound like a water fall.

"Secret Art: Super Beast Scroll!" Sai called out, releasing a barrage of snake, bear, and hawk ink creatures in the hopes of keeping Madara busy to allow himself and Shikamaru the chance to get to Chouji and Juugo to get them to Sakura. Who was seemingly frozen in place. He didn't know if it was because she was trying to decide who to help first or it was that she was still shell shocked at Madara's declaration that Kakashi and Yamato are dead.

"I wouldn't pull that out if I were you." Madara whispered to Sai who was more than a little confused as Madara was just getting attacked by his ink beasts. When Sai finally took his attention off Sakura and moved it back to where Madara was before his eyes go wide in shock as the ground is covered in ink. Madara had defeated all of them in a blink of an eye.

"I Do-do… don't under-stand…" Sai just barely managed to say before he coughed off a good amount of blood. Which meant that his lungs were starting to fill with blood. Sai glanced down to see that his hands seemingly moved of there own accord to grab a hold of Madara's katana that has pierced his chest.

"If you want to live a little longer… I wouldn't pull that out." Madara said, before he let go of the hilt of the sword. Which the moment he did Sai dropped down to his knees with the only thought on his mind being that if Sakura had a hard choice of who to heal first a second ago it just got harder.

_"Move Sakura… you got to help them!"_ Sakura thought, as she was scolding herself for not moving sooner to help her comrades. Sakura thought only was able to take a single step before she was kicked in the abdomen all of the sudden.

"Where do you think you're going Pinky?" A second voice said, which Sakura immediately recognized as Karin. The former female member of Sasuke's Taka group. Karin adjusted her glasses slightly as Sakura just stared at her.

_"Not good… I can't fight her all out with my chakra if I want to save anyone."_ Sakura thought, cursing herself mentally, because she's still not completely sure what this woman is capable of doing. Sakura reached down to her kunai holster and pulled one from the case. She had to end this fight quickly at all costs. She rushed forward swiping the knife at the woman's throat, but Karin cut a back flip avoiding the tip of the blade. However, as her feet came up in the air they caught Sakura right in the chin knocking her off balance. While Sakura stumbled, Karin spun around with a low swipe with her own kunai aiming for Sakura's Achilles' tendon in her legs.

Sakura sensing that something like that was the woman's course of action just barely was able to jump over the blade. Though, she regretted that decision as Karin spun around again, but this time her kunai was headed towards Sakura's chest with a stabbing motion. Sakura barely was able to get her own knife down in time to block the shot.

"Come on! Where's that monster strength of your's?" Karin asked mockingly, knowing why it was that Sakura isn't using her 'monster strength' even though at this rate that would be faster than this.

"Trust me… you don't want to see my monster strength." Sakura replied, hoping that would be enough to get the other woman's thought off of persuading her to use her chakra infused attacks. Though there is also the chance she just gave the woman more of a reason to push for it now.

"Now… that they are out of the way…" Madara says, "you boy… tell me where I can find Sasuke Uchiha!"

"…" Shikamaru was speechless as he could take his eyes off Madara. The man who just waltzed on to the scene and took down not one, but three ninja in less than a minute. He's definitely not playing around, but now Shikamaru had to reassess his previous thoughts. The appearance of Madara surely means that Sasuke is working with him and they killed Naruto. However, since he is looking for Sasuke it is likely that Sasuke doesn't know that Madara is still alive and that Sasuke accidentally killed only Naruto. Unless, the fact that Madara is still alive means that Naruto is still alive somewhere like Ino thought.

"Your trying my patience boy… tell me where he is!" Madara demanded, as he started to move towards Shikamaru with his eyes full of killing intent. He had to think of something quickly… he knew he couldn't give up Sasuke's location with that maniac trying to take down the dam, but he also had to do something to help Sakura get to Sai, Juugo, and Chouji quickly.

"What do you want with Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked, he knew it wasn't going to do much to slow the elder Uchiha down, but it would at least give Shikamaru a little more time to think. Then as if something smacked him upside the head he remembered that his Shadow possession jutsu is perfect for this situation.

"Unfinished business… and I wouldn't use your Shadow Possession jutsu." Madara said, with an evil sing-song tone to his face. Shikamaru then noticed that the elder Uchiha was pointing up in to the sky. Shikamaru followed the man's gesture despite the fact that falling rain stung when it hit him in the eyes. However, it didn't take Shikamaru long to realize what the man was getting at…

"The moon's been blocked by the rain clouds." Shikamaru said, allowed as if it would change something magically, but nothing happened. The thick, dark rain clouds continued to block the moon's light meaning that there was no source light for Shikamaru to have a shadow. His only hope would be flashes of lightening, but that would only allow him to use his jutsu intermediately. Which would end up making him use twice as much chakra to only buy Sakura seconds at a time.

"It's pointless to fight us… how can you think you stand a chance against just me?" Madara says, "You're just fledgling Jounins and I just finished utterly destroying a Jounin that has the DNA of the first Hokage in him and the revered Copy Ninja Kakashi."

"…" Shikamaru sighed, he was right how did Sakura and him stand a chance against just him? Add in to the equation the female companion of his and the chances decease by at least forty percent. Now maybe if Sai, Juugo, and Chouji weren't taken down so quickly and if they had Sasuke with them at the moment their chance would be at least twenty percent instead of the estimated four percent they have now. Shikamaru just crouched down and placed his hands together in his normal strategy thinking posture even though he knows that he won't have long to think about the situation they are in.

"Come on, Pinky, holding back doesn't suit you." Karin said, with a smirk on her face as she watched as Sakura wiped some blood off her lips.

* * *

Ino just watches as the person's who she believes is Naruto's memory unfold with her some how linked to it as they turned around to face who threw the rock that hit them in back of the head. Ino is more than a little surprised when she sees not one, but several people holding rocks looking at them with hatred in their eyes.

"Demon! Just die already!" One of the villagers said, before they all commenced to throws the rocks they had at Ino and the person. Ino sighed, she knew that Naruto had lived a hard life, but she never expected anything like this and what's worse she knows that she played a part in it before she got to know him.

"Stop it! You're hurting me!" The person yelled, as they threw their arms up to shield their head and face from the rocks. In doing so the bowl of ramen the person was holding went crashing down to the pavement shattering and sending noodles in all kind of directions. However, the thing that Ino found was strange that when the person spoke she didn't hear Naruto's voice… she heard her own? Did the person really cry out or did she cry out despite the fact that it won't do any good?

"Filth… just leave already!" Another one of the members of the lynch mob yelled out. More rocks pelted the person, but finally the person had enough and took off running. Ino figured that the person was running towards the only place they knew that was safe. Which is the hole in the wall apartment that the Third Hokage gave him so that he would have a place to call home. However, Ino still felt that the person was getting pelted by the rocks. The person looked behind him and saw that while most of the mob stayed where they were the younger and more mobile members of the mob were following right behind them.

"Just me alone!" The person yelled, again and this time Ino knew that it wasn't her screaming out like that. It was the voice of the owner of this horrific memory, but it still sounded like Ino's own voice that she heard instead of Naruto's. The mob chased the person in to a corner and Ino knew that this was going to end terribly for the person. That's when the person did what Ino knew that they were going to do… they closed their eyes and curled up in to the tightest ball that they could to make the smallest target as possible.

"Ugh!" One of the members of the lynch mob cried out.

"Oof!" Another one cried out, as the person started to hear the sounds of a scuffle in front of them. Ino figured that either someone was finally standing up for the person or that they were trying to give the person a false sense of safety to come out of their defensive position.

"Demon lover!" Several of the lynch mob cried out, as it sounded like they were turning tail and running away from the person. Slowly, the person opened their eyes and standing in front of them with a goofy grin on their face was a young boy, wearing a white t-shirt with an orange swirl on it, and blonde hair. It didn't take long for Ino to realize that the boy looked similar to Naruto.

"Hi there… I'm Minato Namikaze!" The boy declared, as he reached out with his left hand to help the person up to their feet. It didn't take Ino long to realize that the young boy didn't just look like Naruto, but his voice sounded just like his too. Which just made Ino's head hurt, because the person whose living this memory seems to be a girl, but the person that has the memory in their head is a guy.

"Kushina… Kushina Uzumaki… I just moved here." The person said, and like a lightening bolt went off in Ino's head she finally understood what was going on. Minato Namikaze, the fourth Hokage… Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's mother… and it wasn't her memory that she was reliving. Granted, Kushina lived the memory and has a memory just like it, but the person's memory she was reliving was that of the Nine Tails Fox!

_"Naruto's mom… she was a vessel for the Nine tails before Naruto was…"_ Ino thought, to herself at the revelation she just had in the moment and then she started to wonder just how many people in the village know the truth about Naruto's mother. As Ino was just really start wrapping her head around what she learned from the Nine Tail's memory her body started to experience a white hot sensation of pain like she's never had before in all the times she has accidents when practicing with kunai's and shurikens.

* * *

Shikamaru's little brain storm party normally would have helped him in this situation, but with the level of opponent that he is facing there isn't much good that it can do. From all the accounts he has heard about Madara are that physical attacks are useless against him. Which to Shikamaru is a good thing, because attacking physically isn't really his forte, but taking it completely off the table never helps any situation as he was taught by Asuma-Sensei. Jutsu are just as ineffective, because of his Sharingan as he's more than capable of negating the attack and copying most jutsu to turn right back on the user. Luckily, he can't copy the Shadow Possession, but with out light it's useless… though Shikamaru had more than a few light bombs that he could use to give himself light. However, he had to be careful about how he used them, because he could end up hindering Sakura's chances against Madara's companion.

"Don't tell me you're still thinking about fighting me?" Madara said, as he inched closer to the younger shinobi who for all intensive purpose frozen in place by fear.

_"What-ah pain…"_ Shikamaru thought, to himself as he realized he only had one option and hope that he wasn't over estimating Sasuke's abilities and underestimating that of the opponent that he is facing. Shikamaru took a deep breath as he knew he figured that it would probably be his last whole one that he will be allowed to have for the foreseeable future. The idea wasn't cool, but fighting was pointless… the only viable option he had was to stall for time and hope that Sasuke didn't lose his battle.

"Ah no… you're not fighting… you're giving up." Madara said, with a huge smile on his face as he got close enough to grab Shikamaru by the throat. As he wasn't totally over looking the fact that Shikamaru was going to try to give him the run around to buy time for the medical ninja to heal their friends… if she's able to defeat Karin that is. "Tell me, boy where is Sasuke!"

"He's headed to Konoha to get re-enforcements… you're screwed!" Shikamaru said, knowing that it was a straight up lie, but considering how great of a bluffer that he is when it comes to Shogi it's only nature to think that he can bluff his way through this for a little while. Madara however, didn't hesitate before he reared back with his free hand and slugged Shikamaru in the gut.

"Konoha? You think I'm a fool? By the time he'd get back all of you would be dead." Madara said, which Shikamaru realized a little too late. The presence of the older Uchiha man was really messing with his mind as he really hasn't been able to think clearly despite the fact that he's been able to remain calm.

"…" Shikamaru remained silent, as he was trying to catch his breath from the strike to his gut that knocked the wind out of him.

"One more chance… where is he?" Madara asked, as slowly and deliberately used big gestures by flipping his cloak back to reveal his kunai holster to Shikamaru. Madara unsnapped the holster and Shikamaru had to wonder if the older man used chakra to make the sound of the button popping off the rivet louder than normal to the young man to drive him to tell him the truth. However, it did the opposite as Shikamaru knew that he was going to be killed no matter what he said…

"You got me… he's headed for Suna for help actually." Shikamaru said, knowing that at least that sounded more realistic, because Suna's only about two hours travel from here, but even that will be too long for any viable rescue team to make it before their slaughtered.

"Too bad…" Madara said, as he pulled a knife from the holster and aimed it straight at Shikamaru's heart… Shikamaru started wondering when his life was going to start flashing before his eyes, but Madara's attention and attack were halted when a kunai came flying towards the both of them out of nowhere. The kunai unfortunately didn't hit Madara as it landed in between Shikamaru and Madara allowing the younger man the chance to kick Madara in the chest to break free of his grasp. However, Madara was going right back to attack Shikamaru until the two of them noticed something about the kunai… the both of them just barely jump a safe distance away before it explodes!

"Thank heavens…" Shikamaru said, to himself as even though the attack missed it's mark it saved him. Plus it means that Sasuke is on his way back to the camp which means that their chances of survival were about to get better.

"So… the prodigal son returns…" Madara says, as he takes his attention off of Shikamaru as he waits for Sasuke to show himself. However, his attention is so focused on Sasuke's arrival that he doesn't notice that the rain clouds that had hampered Shikamaru's family jutsu before were starting to break up…


	13. What's Missed When One's Not Looking

Sakura didn't have a clue what she was going to do about Karin as she had to dodge another swipe of her kunai. Which allowed Sakura to realize that Karin wasn't much of a fighter and that her only advantage that has given her the upper hand was because Sakura was try to hard to hold back to save her friends and teammates. If she just used a little bit of her chakra she could be able to turn the fight in her favor, but then she lowers the chance for Sai to survive as she figures that it's only a matter of minutes before Juugo expires from massive blood loss if he already hadn't, but with out being able to get close enough to him she can't tell.

"You really think that you are going to be able to save any of them?" Karin said, taunting Sakura with the futileness of the situation in the hopes of angering her, but Sakura was continuing to remain calm. "Okay… I lied… you might be able to save the one boy with the shattered knee cap, but what good would that do?"

"Chouji's a lot more dangerous than you give him credit for." Sakura said, knowing that Shikamaru probably wouldn't be in the mess he's in right now if Chouji was able to fight by his side, but the searing pain from knee is too much for the overweight shinobi to bare. Even if the pain did start to subside even a little Chouji still wouldn't be able to stand on it and to even attempt too would crank the pain up to a point where it would interfere with his ability to mold chakra to do even the jutsu he can down with out a second thought.

"Maybe your right, but I'm somewhat of a medical ninja myself. So I know if he doesn't have that knee treated soon…" Karin started to say, but paused as she rushed towards Sakura with her kunai knife aimed straight for Sakura's neck. Sakura is able to side step the attack and is able to actually hit the woman with a chop to the back of the neck. With out using her chakra to strengthen the blow it didn't do much, but cause her to lose her balance for a moment. "Ouch that hurt, but it doesn't change the fact. If that knee isn't treated soon than the damage is going to be irreversible."

_"Damn it! She's right…"_ Sakura thought, to herself as she found it odd that Madara had attacked Chouji in such a fashion, but then attacked Sai and Juugo with attacks that would be fatal. It was because he didn't think that Karin could handle her and had to make the choice of which one to heal impossible. She would have to decide to save Chouji's full mobility in that knee or sacrifice it to save to save Juugo's or Sai's life. However, even that was a near impossible choice as does she save Juugo who has the power to really help against Madara and lose a friend or does she save a friend and lose possibly the only other person than Sasuke who could defeat Madara.

"Take this!" Sakura barely heard in time to move slightly out of the way of Karin's latest attack on her, but this time she didn't get away unscratched. Sakura was able to avoid a fatal wound, but the knife was still buried deeply in her shoulder. The pain of which was searing and she knew that Karin had hit several muscles in her shoulder.

"Fuck!" Sakura cried out, as she grabbed her right shoulder as her right arm went limp along with her losing feeling in her hand. Sakura was now in the same boat as Chouji meaning if she didn't heal her shoulder soon their would be permanent damage. However, with no feeling in her right hand she can't make the needed hand seals to use the healing jutsu. Though having trained under Lady Tsunade she has an ace in the hole she can use, but it's a one shot only and she doesn't want to use it right now.

"Well it looks like it's time for me to end this." Karin said, with a huge smile on her face as she was about to get revenge on the pink hair kunoichi that she blames for her inability to keep Sasuke by her side. Karin moves to land the final blow on Sakura as she knew that the pink hair kunoichi wouldn't able to find off her attack this time with out using her chakra and to her that isn't an option. However, the battle field is rocked by a sudden explosion that take both of the female's attention off one another to see what's going on between Madara and Shikamaru. They see right away the blast radius of the explosion and then they see that both Madara and Shikamaru had avoided the blast and that the both of them were looking towards the most likely spot that the kunai came from to see who threw it. It would appear that Sasuke finished taking care of the one that was attacking the dam… or so they all thought, but Sakura's heart jumped to her throat when the person broke the tree line…

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Sakura yelled, at the sight of her sensei having trouble staying on his feet with his head band pulled down over both of his eyes. While it looked like he was bleeding pretty badly from not only his face, but his chest as well as a broken arm. Sakura couldn't say that Madara didn't give it everything he had in attempt to kill her sensei, but it wasn't enough as he was still alive. However, she knew that he needed medical attention quickly or he will die most certainly… which further makes Sakura's impossible choice even more impossible… if she could do anything to help.

"Die!" Karin screamed, as she regained her train of thought while Sakura had lost sense of what was going on thanks to the appearance of Kakashi. Sakura turned in time to see the glasses wearing kunoichi about to bring the kunai knife down on her with her having no chance of avoiding it this time. Sakura raised her left arm up in the hopes of blocking the blow, but it never came as out of thin air two people appeared and landed on top of Karin knocking her out for the moment.

"INO!" Sakura exclaimed, as she was more than a little confused to see her best friend appear like that, but she wasn't going to complain to much, because it means that her choice just a little easier, because between the two of them they can heal two people. Of course, after she heals Sakura's injury to where she is able to use her jutsu again.

"Sakura? How did I get here?" Ino asked, as she was more than a little confused by the whole situation cause the last thing that she remembers is being inside the unknown patience's mind before experiencing white hot pain throughout her entire body. Ino held her head as she started to get up realizing that she landed on top of a woman and right next to her is the unknown patience from the hospital.

"Your still a live… I guess I need to finish you off!" Madara spat, as he rushed towards Kakashi with the kunai ready to attack. However, he doesn't get very close to the Copy Ninja before he's frozen in place.

"I don't think so… Shadow Possession jutsu… complete." Shikamaru said, as he held his hands together binding Madara in place, but Shikamaru knew that he more than likely won't be able to hold him for long. With the amount of chakra that Madara has it's likely that he will be able to over power the jutsu, but there is also the chance that the break in the cloud coverage doesn't last for very long either.

"Don't worry about that right now…" Sakura says, "Help me so we can help Chouji, Sai, Juugo, and Kakashi-Sensei."

"Okay…" Ino said, still not sure what was going on, but it didn't take her long to heal Sakura's wound. Ino and Sakura split up to help heal two of the men each with Ino taking Chouji and Sai while Sakura took Juugo and Kakashi. Sakura despite wanting to help Kakashi the most knew that she had to help Juugo first, because his chest wound looked a lot worse than Kakashi's.

"Help your sensei…" Juugo said, as he felt Sakura getting close to him with the intent of healing his wound.

"You need help too…" Sakura said, but what she saw next she couldn't explain as the wound was nearly closed by itself, but Juugo was still too weak to fight due to the amount blood that's lost. "How is that possible…"

"My curse mark… it allows to some degree accelerated healing." Juugo said, which at first didn't make much sense to Sakura, but then realized that she had seen this before, but not in Sasuke… in Naruto. The Nine Tails fox's chakra granted Naruto the unnatural ability to jump back from just about any injury with just a days rest, but at the same time there's draw backs to it just like there is draw backs with the ace she had under her sleeve had Ino didn't show up when she did.

"Sai… don't worry I'm here to help." Ino said, as she started to heal the wound through his chest and back as she slowly pulls the blade out, because with the amount of blood that he lost if she tried pulling it out and then healing the wounds he would die to quickly as the rate the blood could flow out would increase.

"E… Ino? You should help Chouji…" Sai said, weakly meaning that he wouldn't last much longer.

"Don't you give me that self-sacrifice shit!" Ino chided, Sai for waiting to give up his own life to help Chouji. Which despite her attitude towards Sai for it she respects him for it. However, as a medical ninja she has to look at things objectively and while she would love nothing more than to help Chouji at the moment she knew she had to treat the most severely injured first.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sasuke is slowly walked up onto land from the water dragging behind him the nearly unconscious body of Suigetsu. Suigetsu put up one hell of a fight in the water for Sasuke, but the fight had been won the moment that Chidori hit the water the first.

"Damn you and your Chidori…" Suigetsu cursed, angrily that his advantage of having the fight in the water was quickly negated and turned around by the youngest survivor of the Uchiha massacre. Sasuke couldn't help, but to smirk a little bit at Suigetsu. True, the Chidori did play a part in Sasuke's victory, but it wasn't the only thing that factored in either.

"Suigetsu…" Sasuke started to say as if he was going to explained to his former comrade that there were other factors that played in to it, but he freezes in place when a familiar feeling washes over his senses.

"Yeah… that's right." Suigetsu managed say before Sasuke slammed him back first into the nearest tree. The former Mist shinobi couldn't help, but smile at the look of dredge that is playing across the Uchiha's face at the moment. In fact he would have taken this moment to attack him again if his body wasn't still feeling the effects of the Chidori.

"It's not possible…" Sasuke said, more to himself than to Suigetsu as the feeling of Madara's chakra continued to course through his body stronger by the second. Sasuke could tell that he was close by… in fact he was so close that he's certain that he's back at the camp with the rest of Sasuke's team mates.

"You know they are dead already don't you?" Suigetsu said, taunting Sasuke in the hopes that he would drive him in to making a mistake that will allow him to rejoin the fight once he can move his body again. Sasuke however, knew that was the angle that Suigetsu was getting at as compared to Sasuke… he isn't that well versed in the art of deception. It also doesn't hurt that Sasuke can still also sense everyone's chakra's with the exception being that of Yamato's, but then oddly enough he can sense Ino's chakra there along with another chakra, but it's too weak to tell who it belongs to.

"Don't move…" Sasuke said, which just brought a smile to Suigetsu's face thinking that he had done it. He got Sasuke so worried about his team that he forgot to secure him. Sasuke though hadn't forgotten about Suigetsu as he started to make a series of hand seals before placing his hand down on to the ground. In front of where Sasuke's hand had been a small explosion goes off and as the smoke clears there sit's a coiled black and yellow snake. "You know what to do."

"That snake won't be able to keep me here for long!" Suigetsu exclaimed, knowing that once he's able to turn himself back in to water there is nothing that this snake can do to stop him from getting away. Sasuke again just smirked towards Suigetsu as he was over looking the fact that he would have already thought of that possibility. Sasuke just as the snake wrapped itself around Suigetsu and the tree…

"Give him a taste of what you can do." Sasuke simply said, before he took off running towards the camp that he and the other's had set up leaving Suigetsu there with the snake that he was still confident that he would be able to get away from. The Snake however slowly started to glow and then in an instant Suigetsu felt the electric current of the Lightening Jutsu that the snake was employing at the moment. He howled out in pain for a moment, but then with his last bit of consciousness he yelled out:

"SASUKE! ONE DAY I'LL KILL YOU!" Sasuke only continued to smirk, because as of this moment that would be nothing more than empty threat considering the fact that he and Karin were going to be locked up for a long due to their aiding Madara… that is if either of them survive.

* * *

Beads of sweat were already starting to run down Shikamaru's face after just three minutes of having Madara trapped in the Shadow Possession Jutsu. The legendary and infamous member of the Uchiha may have more chakra and better control of it than Shikamaru though his years of experience. However, Shikamaru was winning this battle of chakra at the moment thanks in part to Madara being tired from his previous fight against Kakashi and Yamato as well as his attacks against Juugo, Sai, and Chouji.

"Just give up boy!" Madara says, "There's no where here that can beat me… not even Kakashi especially since he has no eyes."

"…" Shikamaru didn't say anything as he knew that he had to keep his full concentration on maintaining the jutsu instead of coming up with a response. He's just lucky that Ino showed up when she did, but with her helping Sakura the other might just be able to rejoin the fight if needed. He just wished that he knew how she got here so suddenly and who the bandaged tag along is.

"Tsk, tsk…" Madara simply taunted, as Shikamaru's brief lapse in focus allowing him to draw his hand closer to his weapon holster. Which Shikamaru quickly realized that he was going for another kunai knife to possible throw it at him to break the jutsu. Shikamaru changed his hands signs up a little bit and then called out:

"Shadow Strangle Hold Jutsu!" Shikamaru grunted a little bit after initiating the new jutsu as it draws on more chakra to use it. Meaning that he won't be able to hold on to Madara as long as he could have with just the Shadow Possession, but that's a risk he was willing to take at the moment. As with that risk also comes the chance that the would be able to kill Madara by strangulation.

"Hold on, Sai I'm just about finished." Ino said, as she nearly had the sword out of his chest while healing his wounds. Which has been more difficult than Ino originally it would be with the way that Sakura explained the concept to her. It just goes to show her that Sakura should have taken Sai's injury, but then again the grave injuries to Juugo and Kakashi would have been just as hard for her to heal.

"I'm fine… go help Chouji." Sai said, as he winced in pain as the tip of the blade exited his chest cavity. Ino quickly discarded the sword to the way side and placing her now free hand next to her other one strengthening the medical technique she's using.

"Not till I finish healing your wound to the point where you won't bleed out." Ino said, as bent her head down just enough so that she could wipe the sweat beads that are starting to form on her face off on to her shoulder.

"Don't worry about me… I'm ready to join my brother." Sai said, to let Ino know that he had come to terms with his pending death. She just couldn't bring herself to let him die, because even though she hardly knows him he's one of her friends and for that reason she can't see him die like this.

_"Should just be able to make it…"_ Juugo thought, to himself as he knew that he wasn't going to be able to help in the actually fight, but he would at least be able to help Ino and Sakura by healing Chouji…

* * *

Back in Konoha Team Kurenai has just finished giving Lady Tsunade their report and are currently resting in the park. Shino, Kiba, and even Akamaru are all staring at Hinata in their own way as she looks up towards the Hokage faces where work on Naruto's face as ceased for the day.

"Sasuke? You're kidding right?" Kiba said, the tone of his voice showing more than just concern over the idea of his friend and team mate marrying Sasuke Uchiha. The same Sasuke Uchiha that betrayed the village years ago and could do it again in a heart beat.

"Yeah…" Hinata said, timidly as she knew that neither of them would like the idea of the marriage being arranged by her father, but even more so to the fact that it is to him. The boy that years ago left the village to join Orochimaru leaving them and their friends to undertake several missions that nearly killed all of them at one point or another.

"It's actually a fairly logical pairing." Shino said, stoically as he adjusted his glasses.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Kiba shouted, as he and Akamaru both snared at the bug shinobi. Shino however, didn't seem phased at all by the show of dislike towards his statement.

"I'm just saying… despite Sasuke's shady history both the Hyuuga's and Uchiha's are well respected clans. Meaning it's effectively helps both retain that status." Shino says, "Not only that, but Hinata's and Sasuke's offspring would be incredibly strong being able to use both the Sharingan and Byakugan."

"…" Hinata didn't know what to say after that as she just thought that it was just her father's way of dictating her life, but now she's not so sure about it.

"Yeah, but what do you think about it Shino?" Kiba snarled, knowing that his friend couldn't be that accepting of the idea.

"I don't like, but then again I figured that Hinata and I would make a good couple." Shino said, and Kiba nearly fell on his face, because he never thought that he would hear Shino say something like that. As he always figured that Shino didn't think nothing of girls the way that he always carries on about his bugs. Meanwhile, all Hinata could do was blush at the sudden realizing that one her teammates thought of her romantically like that.

"Are you trying to make me die laughing?" Kiba said, jovially considering how dark his mood was moments before. "Everyone knows that Hinata and I would make a killer couple!"

"…" Hinata's face was completely red with embarrassment as it would seem that both of her teammates thought of her in ways she never deemed possible or was it because she was so focused on her "love" of Naruto that she never noticed either one of them before. Right now though she knew that it was just too much for her deal with considering her engagement to Sasuke so she just quietly and quickly left the two of them to argue amongst themselves.


	14. Return Of The Shadow Clones?

Juugo moved slowly holding his left arm over his chest as he was trying to be extremely cautious to avoid ripping open his wound. His curse mark has been helpful enough to speed up his healing to his point, but he's not out of the woods yet. He just has to make sure he can get this done to at least put Ino's and Sakura's mind to ease about Chouji's injured knee. He himself might not know medical ninjutsu to help heal Chouji, but he knows of someone that has the ability to do it and even if he risk setting back all the good his curse mark has done then so be it. Juugo reached down and grabbed Karin by the neck yanking her out from underneath the unconscious man that arrived with Ino moments ago.

_"Almost there… now hopefully Chouji will be willing to do what needs to be done."_ Juugo thought, as it was a good plan in theory to make use of Karin's special healing ability, but there is a chance that the pump shinobi would refuse to bite her, because of some strange honor code. However, he'd have a bigger problem if Karin were to come to before he gets her body over to him as he isn't sure he would be able to hold on to her in his condition. Luckily, though he doesn't have to find out as he drops down to his knees with Karin in between him and Chouji's body.

"Juugo… you should have someone heal you…" Chouji said, as he winced in pain from the shattered knee cap that Madara inflicted on him. He knew that both Ino and Sakura were worried that they wouldn't get to him in time to heal him with out some of the injury becoming irreversible, but he rather walk with a limp for the rest of his life and be discharged from the shinobi ranks than to see a friend lose their life because of him.

"MmMmMm…" Karin groaned, as she was starting to come around which mean that it was just about time for Juugo to enact his plan to heal Chouji. Juugo started to squeeze Karin's neck a little tighter which made the smaller woman cringe in pain as her eyes started to flutter open to see Juugo's face inches away from her own even despite the fact that her glasses were knocked off when she was knocked out.

"Karin… heal Chouji or I snap your neck like a twig!" Juugo said, knowing that she was immediately think that it was his murderous side saying that, but he was perfectly in control of his body. He couldn't explain it, but from the short time that he has been in the Hidden Leaf Village a sense of peace has washed over his soul that he never had before.

"Don't kill me…" Karin said, quickly as she held her arm out towards Chouji. Which of course was meant by a confused looked on his face as he didn't know what to make of the sight. As in all of his time as a patient he's never seen anyone use this time of technique to heal injuries. "Don't be afraid… just bite my arm any where and let the chakra flow into your mouth."

"Okay…" That's all Chouji could manage to come up to say at that moment before he did what he was told to do by the red headed ninja. As soon as his mouth had enclosed itself over part of Karin's forearm he felt the chakra transfer from her body in to his through his mouth. A few seconds later he felt the tendons, muscles, and bone starting to repair themselves as if it was part of some magic act.

"Fu…" Karin started, to curse out loud as her own knee started to take on Chouji's injury and the pain that comes along with it. However, she couldn't finish cursing out loud as she couldn't afford to let Juugo and the rest of the Leaf shinobi find out about the draw back to this technique.

_"Good Chouji's gonna be fine now."_ Juugo thought, but he knew that it wasn't going to last for long as he was starting to get woozy from the amount of blood that he has lost from the wound that was inflicted by Madara to his chest. He knew that the moment he pass out she's going to bolt back towards Sakura and more than likely kill her as she's wide open to attack as she tries to heal Kakashi at the moment. He hates the idea of during it while Chouji's being healed, but he has no choice at the moment. Juugo leaned in and bit Karin's shoulder.

"NO… Juugo wait!" Karin yelled, in hopes of keeping Juugo from biting her as well, but it was already too late and because her body was already healing Chouji it immediately started healing him as well. It didn't take long before the pain of Chouji's knee didn't bother her at all, because the pain that was spreading from her chest was a hundred times worse as it felt as if her internal organs were being ripped apart by a butter knife from the inside out. She could tell from the size and the depth of the wound that Juugo was lucky to still be alive, but she knew that she wasn't going to get granted that same luxury as her body isn't as strong as his is.

"There all done…" Ino said, wearily as she looked down at Sai's chest where just a faint remnant of a scar remains from where Madara's sword had pierced his chest. He smiled weakly, as he knew that he wasn't going to be able to return to the fight at the moment. Cause even though Ino was able to stop the bleeding and close the wounds… she couldn't replace the blood that he already lost. Well she could if she carried with her plasma pills, but at last check Ino didn't carry such items with her, but maybe Sakura does considering that she takes being a medical ninja more seriously.

"Thanks, but it appears that I'm still sidelined unless Sakura has a plasma pill." Sai said, and Ino nodded her head as she knew what the pale shinobi was getting at.

"I'll go see…" Ino said, but she never made it to her feet before her legs buckled out from underneath her. Seeing such happen Sai didn't press the matter, because he knew that she was trying move too soon for her physical strength to return to normal after prolong use in molding of her chakra for the healing jutsu she used.

"Just hold on Kakashi…" Sakura said, as she started her medical ninjutsu going after his most serious injury first to his lungs. Normally, Kakashi's wound wouldn't be that bad, but this time it was point that she wasn't sure that she would be able to heal it. The damage to the lung is extensive, the blood loss is almost to a critical level, and then considering the dirt that is in the wound she also had to worry about infection. If she had been there and started treatment immediately he'd have a ninety six percent chance of survival, but with the conditions as they are she's looking at more like a forty five chance of saving him.

"Sakura… save your chakra… they might need you after this battle." Kakashi said, weakly as he knew what the chances of his survival were even with out being able to look at Sakura's face.

"Don't talk Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura says, as she starts pouring her chakra in to the through and through wound to his chest and lung.

"We both know that it take more chakra than you have to heal me." Kakashi says, "Don't throw your life away for me."

"You've put up a valiant effort kid, but it seems that you are nearing your end." Madara said, as he could tell that Shikamaru wasn't going to be able to keep this jutsu initiated much more. At least not unless that he wants to completely use up his chakra and kill himself in the process. While it would take away some of his pleasure he wouldn't mind having a little less work to do.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Shikamaru replied, hoping the he would be able to bluff his way out of this situation for a few seconds at least. Considering that Madara was right he is just about to the end of his rope and the sad thing was that he never got his shadow arm to the older man's throat to strangle him.

"False bravado isn't rewarded in death." Madara said, which sent a shiver down Shikamaru's spine as it was obvious that he had seen through the bluff easily. The only thing that Shikamaru could wish for now was that when Madara becomes free again he makes his death quick and painless and it would be best if he didn't make him watch his friends die first…

"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Everyone heard, and for those of them that could look like they were practically ready to jump up to their feet to cheer for the return of the number one hyperactive knuckle headed ninja would have, but when the smoke from the jutsu cleared showing several Sasuke's holding on to Madara their smiles turned to frowns.

"The prodigal son… finally came to give me that body?" Madara asked, as he was once again powerless to move with the help of Saskue's clones holding his limbs. However, Sasuke knew better than to count on the clones for very long as they are gone the moment that Shikamaru weakens to the point where he can barely keep the jutsu going he'll be able to move again.

"I told you already… I'm not giving you my body." Sasuke said, coldly as he dropped right arm down towards the ground and placing his left hand just above his wrist. It didn't take Shikamaru long to realize that Sasuke wasn't wasting any time in going for the Chidori which made him more than little relieved, because right now would a blessing for this to end now.

"Why won't you?" Madara asks, "I mean you were so willing to let Orochimaru have it."

"Why you…" Sasuke snarled, as he completed the Chidori in his hand and was ready to rush the older Uchiha, but he is stopped when a hand is placed on to his shoulder…

* * *

Not too far away Sakura is busy healing Kakashi's wounds, but the sheer number of them along with how serious they all are taking a toll on her… not only physically, but mentally as well. As she can't stop thinking about the story Lady Tsunade told her about her lover Dan and the eerie similarities between that story and the shape that Kakashi's body is in… well it's more than getting to her mentally.

"Kakashi, don't worry I'm going to have you patched up in no time." Sakura said, she didn't know if it was more for his sake or hers at the moment. She knew that no one would understand how she fell in love with her sensei, but she just hand… after consistently being rejected by Sasuke while being pursued by Naruto like she was some sort of prize, because he beat Sasuke to something. She felt as if no one saw her for herself, but that's when she realized that Kakashi had. He had seen her in all her glory of what she could become, but also saw her at her weakest moments feeling like she couldn't go on any more.

"Sakura… don't worry about me." Kakashi said, as he knew that he wasn't the only one that needed medical attention, but more so for the fact that he sees that she would push herself past the point of no return to save him endangering her own life. Which is just something that he could bare to see knowing how much that she loves him, but also because he's started to have feeling towards his former student. He never planned on falling in love with someone several years his junior, but at the same time it's the fact that Sakura is younger than him and still has an air of innocence left about her that helps him remember a time when he still had an innocent soul.

"Ssssh… don't try to talk." Sakura said, as she had made up her mind that if they both make it through this mission than she's going to tell him just how she feels about him and if he doesn't make it… than she won't make it either. At that moment she just happened to look up at Kakashi's face to see if he was any pain, but what she saw didn't help her state of mind. She saw Kakashi's head fall to the side… which meant that he had slipped in to unconsciousness which means that he doesn't have much longer before the loss of blood takes his life. "No… this can't be happening… KAKASHI!"

Sakura yelled, as tears started to form in her eyes and as she started to heavily pour her chakra in to the medical jutsu she's using. Sakura's tears rolled down her cheeks and fell to the ground, but a few of her tears landed on her gloved hands over top of Kakashi's chest. In that instant something strange happened as the green healing chakra turned white and small jolts of red lightening started crackling in between Kakashi's chest and her hands. This only happened for a few moments before Sakura collapsed over top of her motionless sensei.

* * *

Back in Suna, Gaara is standing in front of one of his office windows looking out towards the very destroyed village where the Leaf shinobi are once against fighting Madara Uchiha. He had a pensive look on his face as if he knew that something terrible was happening while feeling powerless to do anything to help them. Suddenly the door of his office bursts open causing the KazeKage to turn around just in time to see his older sister Temari enter the room looking more than a little worried, but more out of breath than anything.

"Gaara we have a problem…" She huffed out, as held on to the door to help keep her balance at the moment as she watched as her younger brother started to walk closer to her.

"What is it?" Gaara asked, wondering if this had anything to do with the sand storm or if it has something to do with this nagging feeling that he has in his gut about the Leaf Shinobi's safety.

"First off, the unknown survivor from that village as well as Ino Yamanaka have disappeared from the hospital." She said, which right away made Gaara cringe at the thought of something happening to Ino at the hands of a person they know nothing about. However, he had a feeling that wasn't the only thing that she had to tell him.

"Have Kankurou organize a search and rescue team." Gaara said, knowing that they couldn't let anything to happen to Ino because of their alliance to the Leaf Village, but more for the fact that he doesn't want anything to happen to someone that was precious to his best friend.

"Right, but Gaara there's more…" Temari huffed, "Shikamaru has missed his last two check ins."

"Catch your breath and then prepare to leave with me." Gaara said, as he turned to look at his Sand gourd that's hanging behind his desk. He knew that he really couldn't afford to leave his village at the moment, but at the same time he wanted to give the teams from the Leaf village the best back up available and that so just happens to be him.

"Gaara… shouldn't you think about this more rationally?" Temari asked, knowing that her younger brother's heart was in the right place, but she also knew that he couldn't just running off anytime he feels like it. Especially since they don't have any idea what they would running in to, because for all they know the Leaf village is turning on them and this is a trap set up to assassinate the KazeKage.

"I have thought about it… and it's settled." Gaara said, stoically as he knew that his sister meant well in worrying about him, but at the same time he knew that he had to live up to the image of his best friend. As he knows that Naruto would do the same thing even if they had concrete proof that something was afoot, because that's just the person that he was. He was bent and determined to see the good in everyone and it's for that reason alone that he was able to open Gaara's eyes to a better life… one that he didn't live alone.

* * *

Hinata found herself walking for several hours after her little talk with Kiba and Shino about her marrying Sasuke Uchiha. She felt that it was best that they heard it from her instead of finding out through one of the many gossipers that will be talking about it soon enough. However, that was before she knew that the both of them fancied the idea of being with her romantically. She couldn't believe that she never saw the signs of it before they had to spell it out for her, but that only goes to figure seeing as how blinded she was by Naruto.

"Perfect." Someone said, which drew Hinata's attention towards a man that looked like he was hanging up a painting outside of his shop. Which is normal everyday stuff if the weather is nice enough, because it helps the shop owners draw in business. However, what Hinata saw next made her freeze in place. The painting the shop owner hung up was of a woman sitting by the steam just outside of the village… the woman's face isn't visible in the painting, but from the clothes and the hair… Hinata could tell that it was a painting of her.

"Excuse me… where did you get that?" Hinata asked, as she walked up to the shop owner who didn't bother to turn around to address her instead he just continue admiring either the painting or his handy work of hanging it up.

"Some kid sold it to me." The shop owner said, as he reached out towards the painting with both of his hands to straighten it a little bit.

"Can I ask his name?" Hinata asked, hoping that he would be able to tell her his name, because she just hand to know if he also had a thing for her or if she just happened to sit down in front of him and got added in for added effect.

"Sorry… don't remember it, but he did have black hair." The shop owner said, as he pulled his hands away from the painting once he's satisfied with it's positioning.

_"Black hair… could it be Sai?"_ Hinata thought, to herself as she didn't know many black haired artists, but she did know Sai and knew that a lot of his jutsus involved a paint brush. So it was more than likely that he knew how to paint and draw. Hinata let out a sigh of relief, because if this is the handy work of Sai she doesn't have to worry about him having feelings for her, because he doesn't seem to like any girls with the way that he drives Ino and Sakura both nuts with the nicknames that he has given the two of them.

"Hey aren't you the girl in the painting?" The shop owner asked, after he finally turned around to face Hinata.

"I'm not sure…" Hinata said, before she started to back away from the shop owner as the last thing that she wants right now is for him to ask her a lot of questions about the painting that she didn't even know existed until five minutes ago.


	15. Lets Rewrite An Ending That Fits

**_A/N:_** Ladies and gentlemen here it is... the final chapter to part one of this story... I hope you all enjoy it.

* * *

Sasuke couldn't believe that someone would try to stop him from attacking Madara other than someone that's working for him. Which considering that Suigetsu and Karin were both unable to help him at the moment that only left the man with the bandaged face that was surprisingly here with Ino. Sasuke turned ready to pierce the man's chest to put an end to him quickly, but he freezes when he sees that the man with the bandage face is standing on his feet while unconscious!

"What the hell…" Sasuke exclaimed, wondering not only how the man is standing while he's completely out of it, but why would he stop him from ending Madara's life.

"He's smarter than you, Sasuke, he knows that move won't kill me." Madara exclaimed, knowing that he was right… sure with the clones holding on to his body he might not be able to make his whole body intangible, but he can still make his vital organs. Which would make the strike nothing more than a flesh wound that unfortunately will leave him numb from head to toe for several moments.

"You're talking about the Izanagi - Forefather God technique?" Sasuke asked, even though he knew that Madara wasn't referring to that Genjutsu. As Sasuke knew of the draw backs from his fight against Danzou and considering Sasuke knew that he destroyed Pain's Rinnegan before Madara had a chance to implant them. It was safe to say he wouldn't risk losing his Sharingan now considering that's been the only thing keeping him alive.

"Silly boy… you think so small." Madara chided, Sasuke with a smirk on his face as he saw Shikamaru nearly collapsing meaning that it was just a matter of time before he would be free. "I allowed Orochimaru to experiment with my body with out letting him know who I was. As long as there is just one cell undamaged and a drop of blood left in this body it will regenerate over time… I'm immortal!"

"Then why do you need Sasuke's body?" Shikamaru asked, with labored breath as he fights to hold on to the shadow strangulation jutsu.

"It doesn't matter…" Madara said, even though it didn't matter if they found out or not, but he rather not share the fact that while he's immortal in this body that it doesn't replenish as quickly as what they do they sleep. That it takes him several days to get back to full strength it's for that reason his Sharingan eyes have slowly started to decay losing the great power that make them fearful to other shinobies.

"Wind Style: Rasen Shuriken!" The Bandaged face man said, his voice was raspy and horse more than likely from not being used for a while to where no one really thought that it belongs to Naruto as it doesn't sound like him. Well other than Ino who has seen things from inside the man's mind that leads her to believe that it is indeed Naruto standing there holding his most dangerous jutsu.

_"Is that Naruto's spirit controlling that guy?"_ Shikamaru thought, to himself as the last thing that he wanted to do was say it aloud getting Ino pissed off at him to where she attacks him and break the jutsu that's on it's last legs already.

_"What's going on…"_ Sasuke thought, as he felt something pulling his Chidori towards the Rasen Shuriken in the bandaged face man's hand. The moment that the two jutsu touched they started merge as the two of them lifted their arms in to the air above their heads. The Rasen Shuriken suddenly doubled in size and went from having three blades to six of them, but only three of them showed the wind nature as the other three had taken on Sasuke's lightening nature.

_"Hehe… that move would definitely kill me if I couldn't make my organs intangible."_ Madara thought, as he could see the potential destructive force behind the combination jutsu, but even it pales in comparison to what he can do. It was at that moment that Sasuke and the Bandage face man threw for the lack of a better term… bomb at Madara and the clones. Sasuke's clones were vaporized quickly as the ball of chakra sent Madara flying to the air before wind nature created a vortex around his body while the lightening coursed through his body. The tiny blades of wind and lightening tore through every cell in Madara's body as the bandaged face man and Sasuke as if they were on the same thought process for just a moment called out:

"Rasen-Raiu Shuriken - Spiraling Thunderstorm Shuriken!"

While Madara is trapped in the eye of that devastating jutsu Shikamaru collapses down to his knees as his jutsu is finally released and the bandaged face man also starts falling back towards the ground as his legs give out, but Sasuke is more than quick enough to catch him before he does. Despite how tired he is from his fight with Suigetsu and how drained he feels from that combination jutsu. Chouji and Juugo both stare at Madara's flailing around nearly completely healed by Karin. Karin on the other hand is close to death thanks to the wound that was transferred to her from Juugo. Sai can't believe the destructive force of the jutsu while Ino has finally gotten her strength back to where she is on her feet rushing towards Sasuke and the bandage face man to check on the both of them. Sakura and Kakashi… however are still laying off in the distance motionless…

_"Naruto… thank you…"_ Sasuke thought, to himself as he looks up towards the clearing night sky to see a star shining brightly just for a moment as if it was Naruto's way of saying your welcome before it vanishes. When Madara's body finally falls to the ground signifying that the jutsu has finally lost all of it steam and the end of Madara Uchiha's life. Or so they thought until he coughed up some blood before he started laughing like a mad man.

"How could that not kill him." Ino said, in disbelief until his words replayed in her head and realized what he had managed to do. Which is probably how he was able to survive Sasuke's Amatersu while Naruto and his clones held on to him.

"I'm immortal and once I can move again…" Madara says, "Your ALL DEAD!"

While everyone just looked at Madara's torn to shred body start to regenerate itself in front of them they realized that there was nothing they could do to defeat him. However, while they watched Karin through blood gurgled words whispered something to Juugo. She told him about the draw back of her healing ability, but also about her condition and the only way she she can heal herself. Juugo wasted little time and shared the information with Shikamaru who gave the nod of approval to do it.

"Come on, Karin… it's your time to shine." Juugo said, as he picked Karin's near lifeless body up and carried it over to Madara's body.

"What…, what are you doing?" Madara asked, sounding more worried than he would have liked, but he had known about Karin's condition and ability even before he had asked her and Suigetsu to work for him again in the hopes of ridding the world of the Leaf Village once and for all. He knew that she only needed three minutes to completely drain his body of all it's blood… which would negate his regeneration ability, because even with intact cells with no blood there can be no life. He never felt Karin bite his neck, because his body was still numb from the lightening nature of the combination attack and would still be for another several minutes.

"Ino…" Sasuke said, as he looked at the blonde haired kunoichi who was looking over the bandaged face man to make sure that he was alright. "Go check on Kakashi and Sakura."

"Right…" Ino said, despite the fact that she didn't want to leave the bandaged face man's side, but she knew that she had to. As she approached the two of them she feared for the worse considering the extent of Kakashi's injures and the fact that neither one of them had moved for several moments now. She checked Sakura first as it was more likely that she was alive than Kakashi… she had a weak pulse, but it was steady and she had healthy breathing rhythm. Ino let out a sigh of relief knowing the fact that her best friend was going to make it. However, she soon let out a gasp of shock when she noticed that other than Kakashi's eyes all of his wounds have been healed. Ino reached down and checked to see if he had a pulse… he did it was about as strong as Sakura, but unlike Sakura his breathing rhythm was more labored. Which she accounted to the fact that Sakura was laying across him.

"Well?" Sasuke asked, wondering if they were going to have to haul four corpses back to the Leaf village along with two prisoners and several injured.

"Their alive! I don't know how, but their alive!" Ino exclaimed, "Kakashi is completely blind though…"

"Ino can you transplant eyes?" Sasuke asked, and from the look that he got from her… he figured that she could do it, but was going to refuse to do it, because she thinks that he wants her to transplant his eyes in to Kakashi.

"I think so, but how are you going to see?" Ino asked, just like Sasuke knew that she would so he only smirked and stared at Madara body. Karin hadn't finished draining all of his body yet which means that they still have a small window to work with his eyes being usable.

"He won't need his…" Sasuke said, and Ino just nodded, but the transplant was going to be more than a little tricky, because she's never really done one before. Plus they won't know if it's a success until Kakashi wakes up and there is no telling when that is going to be.

It didn't take Ino long to do the double transplant now all they are going to have to is wait to see the results of it. Only Karin had finished draining Madara of all his blood she was restrained by Juugo, Chouji was in the process of helping Sai to his feet, while Shikamaru was picking Sakura up off Kakashi, as Sasuke was lifting Kakashi up on to his back. Which just left Ino to try to carry the bandaged face man, Suigetsu, and Yamato's corpse. However, they didn't have a chance to talk it over before they all felt several sources of chakra closing in on their location. Sasuke right away recognized one of the chakra sources as Suigetsu… he didn't know how he managed to break free from his snake summons grip, but more troubling was the fact that he found some friends to bring with him.

"Is everyone alright?" A stoic voice called, which everyone recognized as the KazeKage's voice as Gaara desended from the trees followed by Temari, Kankurou, and several over Sand ninjas as well as Suigetsu in shackles etched with seals to lock in his chakra. However, the most surprising face was that of Yamato!

"Captain Yamato? How?" Shikamaru asked, more than a little confused of how he was alive, because of how sure Madara was that he killed him as well as Kakashi. Which was evident in how surprised that he was when Kakashi showed up barely clinging to life which just make it more real that Yamato was killed.

"I used a jutsu that I only had one shot with." Yamato said, as he was still pretty badly injured, but he was alive. "Just before Madara's fatal shot… I sealed myself in to a seed with in my body. Madara "killed" a husk that slowly turned in to a tree, but it still took a while for the seed in the husk to sprout to release me."

"Amazing…" That's all Chouji could think of at the thought of how his teams new team leader was able to avoid death.

"Where am I?" The bandaged face man said, suddenly which caught every one more than a little off guard considering that he was comatose for several weeks.

"With friends, Naruto." Ino said, cheerily as she rushed to the man's side. Everyone watch with baited breath as to how the man was going to react to being called Naruto. Other than the Sand Ninjas and Gaara who hadn't seen the Rasen-Raiu Shuriken, they could somewhat see the man as possibly being Naruto, but they weren't holding their breath.

"Whose Naruto? Hell… who am I?" The man said, which caused everyone to hang their head down, but it crushed Ino's heart as she knows that it just has to be him, but for him to still not remember who he is a little too much.

* * *

Three days later, back in Konoha at the hospital Sasuke Uchiha is standing outside of a room looking the glass viewing window at Kakashi and Sakura. Kakashi was busy reading one of his books while Sakura laid in the bed next to him where she still hasn't woken up. Sakura looks a little different from before the mission as the right side of her bangs has turned white as if all the color was sucked out of the strands of hair. Standing just behind him was Lady Tsunade… who he had just finished giving his account on the report that was filled by Shikamaru on the mission.

"I see…" That's all Tsunade could say as there was no words she could use to justify what they went through or explain what happened concerning the burn victim involvement in the battle as they have had no luck tapping in to his latent memories even with Inoichi Yamanaka taking the lead.

"What I don't understand… is how did Sakura save Kakashi? His wounds were pretty bad." Sasuke said, still being unable to process how she managed to do it.

"Sakura… has a Kekkei Genki much like yourself." Tsunade says, "However, until now it was totally forgotten about."

"How can it be forgotten about?" Sasuke asked, as every Kekkei Genki user he has come across their abilities have been well known.

"Well for starters it's not a battle technique and more importantly until Sakura… the Haruno clan hadn't produced a shinobi with the capability of becoming a medical for fifty years." Tsunade said, recalling the fact that the last Haruno ever to be a medical ninja before Sakura was her great-great-great grandfather and the man that had trained her in the medical arts during the time she was taking the Chuunin while Sarutobi worked with Orochimaru, and Jiraiya… well was Jiraiya.

"Okay, but doesn't tell me how that helped her save Kakashi." Sasuke asked, getting a little antsy know more about Sakura's Kekkei Genki.

"She ability to magnify her healing techniques by infusing them with her lightening nature." Tsunade said, which caught Sasuke more than little off guard as he never pegged Sakura as having Lightening as her chakra elemental. In fact, he'd goes as far to say that it's more likely she has earth. "However, it comes at a cost. The user shortens their own life span and by that I mean her life span as in if she were to day of natural causes and old age instead of on the battlefield."

"So is that why part of her hair lost it's color?" Sasuke asked, the next question wondering if it had played a part in what was going on. Tsunade just nodded her head.

* * *

Later on in the week, everyone was gathered by the memorial stone to pay their respects to Naruto after a random accident where Ino bumped in to Shizune caused Naruto's head band to fall out from behind hers. They wasted little time in setting the ceremony back up and Ino wasted no waking moment in trying to get the bandaged man to remember who he is. Time had run out though as they were prepared to lower the head band down in to the ground when all of the sudden… some loud mouth yelled:

"MAN! Whose a guy suppose to save to get some Ramen?" The voice was unmistakable as the bandaged face man jumped up on to the coffin holding, Naruto's head band. Several ANBU members moved in to grab the man, but he evaded them with ease as the bandages around his face started to come undone.

"Somebody stop him!" Tsunade yelled, frustrated that the ceremony was getting interrupted for a second time. Sasuke, Neji, and Lee all tried to help assist the ANBU members in capturing the man, but all they did was end up getting in the way as the bandages fell away from the mans face until they finally revealed that he was indeed… Naruto Uzumaki, the number one hyper active knuckle headed maverick ninja!

"NA-RU-TO!" Iruka yelled, with out hesitation or thought as to what he said considering why they were all gathered in the first place. However, when he did realize what he said he busted out laughing. Naruto was finally tackled down to the ground, but it wasn't by the ANBU, Neji, Lee, or Sasuke… it was by Ino who doesn't waste a second in kissing the Hero of the Village on the lips.

"ENOUGH! This ceremony is postponed… until I can determine if that really is Naruto." Tsunade yelled, more than little upset, but at the same time there was a little hint of joy in her face at the thought that Ino was right all along and that he was alive. That this man is really Naruto, but now she just had to make sure considering how it was Ino that stole the head band to stop the last ceremony. It's possible that she is using her mind techniques to make the formerly bandaged face man think that he is Naruto Uzumaki.


End file.
